HOT AUDIO: Mahama asked to sack ‘arrogant’ Health Minister

National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to sack the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, over what he described as poor handling of the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).

Mustapha claimed that the strike has led to a rise in deaths in recent days due to the breakdown of public healthcare services, and accused the Minister of showing no practical leadership in addressing the crisis. He described Akandoh as arrogant and urged him to learn from the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, whom he praised for managing his sector with tact and diplomacy.

“When you are appointed as a Minister of Health or Education, you need a great deal of tact to manage the sector. If he doesn’t consult his colleague Haruna Iddrisu to learn how he is managing the education sector, and begin to apply the same approach in health, he will be badly disgraced because it is an area that demands diplomacy and sensitivity,” Mustapha said during a panel discussion on Peace FM on Thursday, June 12, 2025.

He further criticized Akandoh for not being a health professional and yet failing to understand how to handle such a critical sector properly.

“During his speech at the swearing-in of ministers, the President warned that he would not tolerate arrogance among his appointees. But the sad truth is that many of them are indeed arrogant. Is the President not aware of the conduct of some of his ministers? He must take action. Otherwise, we might wake up one day to discover that half of Ghanaians have died, judging by how pompous and indifferent the minister has been,” he added.

The ongoing strike by GRNMA was sparked by delays in the implementation of the 2024 Conditions of Service agreed upon on May 20, 2024. The strike has crippled public healthcare delivery in several parts of the country.

Even though the National Labour Commission has declared the strike illegal, the nurses and midwives remain firm in their decision not to return to work until their demands are addressed.