NEW BREED OF CIVIL SERVANTS NEEDED (JANUARY 10)

THE advice to civil servants to demonstrate a high sense of professionalism in the running of government business and be apolitical under the Atta Mills administration is a timely caution.
The Chief Director of the Office of the Head of Civil Service, Mrs Rebecca Amoah Aboagye, who gave the advice, said politics “is not the pastime” of civil servants and demanded selflessness, fairness, integrity and accountability from civil servants to ensure the successful execution of government programmes and projects.
The Civil Service plays a very pivotal role in the conduct of public affairs in our country and the success of government policies and programmes depends on the efficiency and loyalty of civil servants.
Mrs Aboagye hit the nail right on the head when she indicated that “the civil service runs on rules and regulations, which prescribe the chief director as the bureaucratic head, while the Minister of State provides political direction to achieve the goals of the government”.
It is for this reason that the Constitution protects civil servants from undue harassment. Article 191 states that “a member of the Public Services shall not be (a) victimised or discriminated against for having discharged his duties faithfully in accordance with this Constitution; or (b) dismissed or removed from office or reduced in rank or otherwise punished without just cause”.
Unfortunately, a few unpatriotic civil servants seek refuge under the protection offered by the Constitution to loaf around without offering any services to the government and the public for which they are paid.
Civil servants as employees of the state have no mandate to govern and for which reason they have not made pledges to the people. The government that hires them on behalf of the state has made promises to the people and the people are looking up to it to deliver on those promises.
The DAILY GRAPHIC reminds civil servants of their crucial role in the development of the country.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaigned on a platform of change and pledged to better the lot of Ghanaians if voted into power again. The voters also have a very tall wish-list that they presented to the various political parties during the electioneering.
Effective governance has never been delivered by only supporters of the ruling government. The good things we all desire can only be fulfilled by the Mills administration if all Ghanaians join forces to develop the country.
The era of the new dawn cannot be rewarding if we allow business as usual to flourish. Lateness to work, absenteeism and lukewarm attitude to work must be things of the past.
The practice where some civil servants go to work at about noon and leave shortly after the break period must stop now. Those who use official hours to work lotto and those who frustrate members of the public who require assistance must also mend their ways before the forces of change sweep them aside. We need hard-working civil servants to assist the government to deliver on its mandate.