The Head of the Civil Service of Ghana, Dr. Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, has admonished civil servants to avoid political activities as the nation prepares for the 2024 general elections.
Speaking at the press launch of Civil Service Week and the 2023 Awards Ceremony, Dr. Aggrey-Darkoh underscored that civil servants’ role was to support political leaders and serve the national interest, not to engage in active politics.
“The work of the civil servant is behind the scenes. We are to support our political leaders. What is important to us is that at the end of the day, the national interest is served. Once the national interest is served, we are done.”
He added: “Civil Servants need to be committed to what the principle, code of conduct, core values, and issues of professionalism among others are. Our overarching objective is to assist the government in the formulation and implementation of public policy and programme”.
He was speaking on the theme: “Combating threats to sub-regional peace and security: perspectives of the civil service”.
Additionally, Dr. Aggrey-Darkoh urged civil servants to focus on fulfilling their roles in driving general economic growth by implementing policies and programmes that foster stability, peace, and security, as the theme for the 2024 awards ceremony indicates.
Article 94(3) of the constitution highlights that certain officeholders, such as members of the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Prisons Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Judicial Service, the Legal Service, the Civil Service, and the Audit Service, among others, cannot contest for the seat of a legislator.
Members of the public raised eyebrows, and private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu highlighted ethical issues when several civil servants went chasing political ambitions, with the then Controller and Accountant General, Mr Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, contesting the New Patriotic Party’s Akim Swedru Constituency parliamentary primaries while in office.
“The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) case actually says that if a civil servant becomes overt in his political affiliation, then he has to resign. It is not just about nomination alone. Let me read a part. Apart from talking about the nomination, this is what it says.
“Upon a true and proper interpretation of the constitution, a member of the civil service or local government service does not have the right to remain a member of a civil service or local government service after his or her nomination by the political party or otherwise to contest for election as a Member of Parliament.
“Moreover, such a person shall resign from his or her office immediately after his or her political activities become overt,” he said.
However, in the case of Mr Kwaning-Bosompem, that did not happen, blatantly violating the laws and provisions of the civil service guidelines.