The transition process is not happening as smoothly as envisaged, as the outgoing government and the incoming administration attack each other.

Both parties have been trading accusations and counter-accusations against each other, suggesting a mutual lack of trust.

The latest evidence of this politically-motivated debacle is the outgoing government’s dismissal of allegations by the Acting General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, that the handing over notes made available to the incoming government have been “doctored”.

A statement signed by the spokesperson for the government’s transition team, Hanna S. Tetteh, said Mr Boadu's allegations can only have one purpose: to demonise the out-going John Mahama-led administration.

“The statement is regrettable and ill-informed and indeed conveys the impression that the NPP is looking for any opportunity it can obtain to demonize the out-going NDC administration instead of concentrating on understanding the state of affairs of the respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies over which they will soon have political oversight,” said the outgoing government’s rebuttal.

Photo: John Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo at the inauguration of the transition team

In accordance with the law, the transition team was put together by both the President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo and the current president to oversee the smooth handing over of power has been inaugurated. 

The Transition process is guided by the Presidential Transition Act 2012 (Act 845).

Read: President Mahama inaugurates Transition Team

Before this latest rebuttal by the government's transition team, the NPP team also claimed that the handing notes were not ready.

Again the outgoing government came out to deny the claim, insisting that the handing over notes for the incoming Nana Akufo-Addo-led administration were ready.

The incoming government also said it had received handing over notes from only eight out of the over 30 ministries.

The representative of president-elect Nana Akufo-Addo on the transition, Yaw Osafo Marfo, says his team has received reports from less important ministries but not the vital ones like the Finance Ministry.

The government transition, however, says handing over notes for the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies have been made ready within the required time frame.

 “The handing over notes for the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies were ready within the time frame required by the Presidential Transition Act, 2012 (Act 845), however the Ministers responsible for each sector Ministry were required to sign the handing over notes before sending them to the office of the Administrator General,” the statement explained.

There were also claims by the incoming government that that outgoing government was awarding last minute contracts and recruiting personnel into the public service a few weeks to the official change in government.

However, the outgoing government defended this claim. Deputy Attorney General, Abraham Amaliba said until January 7, the outgoing National Democratic Congress (NDC) was the elected government of the Republic of Ghana and has the authority to exercise all the functions of government until the hand-over.

The latest statement by the government transition team also reiterated this position.