Lydia Akanvariba Lamisi, the Minister of State-designate for Public Sector Reforms, has revealed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) revoked her employment when it took office in 2017. Despite her personal experience, Akanvariba assured the public that she would not engage in similar dismissals. Instead, she committed to implementing measures aimed at enhancing efficiency in the public sector.
During her vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on February 24, Akanvariba outlined her vision for the public sector. She emphasized the importance of productivity, efficiency, and fair rewards for public sector workers. “My vision for the public sector is to create an efficient and responsive system that delivers on the government’s agenda and meets the needs of the people,” she stated.
Lydia Akanvariba highlighted the need for good working environments, training, and capacity building. She promised to collaborate with state and non-state actors to integrate new technologies and improve service delivery. Additionally, she pledged to empower women in business and ensure that public sector reforms contribute to national development.
As part of her agenda, Akanvariba vowed to strengthen the digital platforms established under President Akufo-Addo’s administration. She affirmed her commitment to using these technological systems to promote accountability and transform public sector operations. Key initiatives she plans to enhance include the Ghana.GOV platform, the Ghana Revenue Authority payment system, and the Paperless Port system.
“I do believe digitalisation is the way to go,” Lydia Akanvariba said during her vetting. “Some work has been done on the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System and the current payment system, but that is not enough. I’m here to strengthen what has started already. There are offices, like the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, that don’t even have enough workable computers. It’s my responsibility to continue from where the Akufo-Addo administration started and make the public sector efficient, modern, and robust.”
Lydia Akanvariba also called for a comprehensive review of the public sector recruitment process. She stressed the importance of ensuring that recruitment into public institutions remains fair, transparent, and merit-based. “We should have a national dialogue on how we hire and recruit into the public sector,” she suggested.
Beyond recruitment, she underscored the need to leverage technology to enhance public sector efficiency and curb corruption. “People think that when you mention the public sector, it is just about the local service, but there are many agencies involved. We need to understand how we can use technology to tackle corruption,” she noted.
When asked about the termination of last-minute appointments made by the Akufo-Addo administration, Lydia Akanvariba emphasized the importance of engagement and collective agreement. “It’s about understanding the issues and reaching a collective agreement on how we put people into our services,” she concluded.
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