Legal expert Kwame Jantuah has raised concerns about the increasing tendency of governments to assign political figures to lead state institutions rather than selecting seasoned professionals with the requisite technical skills.

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He noted that this recurring pattern across successive administrations undermines the country’s economic stability.

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Jantuah emphasized that appointing individuals without the necessary expertise hampers the efficiency and effectiveness of these organizations.

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He stressed the need for leadership grounded in industry-specific knowledge to ensure state institutions function optimally.

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“Some of the institutions need technical management to handle it not politicians. This bit where we put politicians everywhere creates a challenge for the system because if you the politician don’t understand the company you have been put in, and the civil servants who are there to teach you end up teaching you the wrong things, how would you know if you are doing the right thing or not?” he said on TV3 NewDay on Friday, February 7, 2025.

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He underscored the necessity of placing skilled professionals at the helm of state institutions to ensure efficiency.

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Jantuah called on the government to differentiate between agencies that demand technical expertise and those that can operate under political leadership.

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He recommended that institutions requiring specialized knowledge be overseen by experienced professionals, while political appointments should be reserved for non-technical roles.

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“It’s not all the research that you do will make you understand the nitty-gritty of it, and TOR is a typical example. Maybe it’s high time we looked at the different parastatals and see which one needs real technical management staff to manage the institution and not politicians,” he said.

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Jantuah, a key figure in the Convention People’s Party (CPP), warned that without this shift, people driven by self-interest would infiltrate political parties solely to secure appointments, even without the necessary competence.

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He cautioned that this trend could undermine institutions and diminish their effectiveness.

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"Somebody who wants to manage GNPC or some of the big parastatals will put his way through, work very hard, get into the good books of the president, and will be appointed somewhere but doesn’t understand anything of where they have been put,” he ended.

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