NPRA suffers early setback as High Court strikes out motion to halt wrongful dismissal suit

The National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has failed in its first major attempt to derail a legal challenge brought by its former Takoradi Zonal Manager, Richard Takyi-Mensah, after the Accra High Court dismissed the Authority’s motion to strike out his suit.

Justice Kwame Amoakoh, sitting in a relieving capacity for the recently promoted Labour Court judge, held that the NPRA’s application was procedurally incompetent and did not meet the threshold required to terminate the matter at this preliminary stage.

The Authority had moved the court on June 30, 2025, invoking Order 9 Rule 8(a) and Order 11 Rule 18 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, CI 47, in an effort to knock out both the writ of summons and the statement of claim.

But the court disagreed.

This ruling places the NPRA squarely before the Labour Court to defend its actions on the merits rather than on technicalities.

The dispute traces back to February 2025, shortly after the new administration took office. Takyi-Mensah — an influential New Patriotic Party regional executive and a prosecution witness in the high-profile Assin North litigation — had been serving as NPRA’s Takoradi Zonal Manager since March 2023.

His employment was terminated by a letter signed by acting Chief Executive Officer Chris Boadi-Mensah, citing the contractual provision that allows either party to terminate the relationship with one month’s notice or salary in lieu.

The timing of the dismissal, coupled with Takyi-Mensah’s political prominence, sparked public speculation about whether the decision was administrative routine or political pushback.

He responded sharply in media interviews:

“This is pure victimisation… No law bars political party executives from working at the NPRA.”

Alleging unlawful termination and political discrimination, Takyi-Mensah filed a wrongful dismissal action. The case was initially assigned to Labour Court 1 until the substantive judge’s elevation to the Court of Appeal triggered an administrative reallocation.

Before the matter could be heard, the NPRA attempted to have it thrown out entirely — the motion that the court has now invalidated.

With the preliminary objection upheld, the former manager’s claims — touching on the sensitive intersection of public service neutrality, political affiliation, and employment rights — are now live issues for judicial determination.

The effect of Monday’s ruling is straightforward:

The Authority must now file a substantive defence and meet Takyi-Mensah’s claims head-on.

The case will return to the Labour Court for active case management once administrative reassignment is completed.

The outcome is expected to shape the boundaries of permissible political participation by public sector employees — a governance issue with implications extending far beyond the pensions regulator.