The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), has called on the Public Services Commission (PSC) to put appropriate measures in place to ensure the implementation of Article 197 which provides that the PSC “may, subject to the approval of the President, make regulations, by constitutional instrument, for the effective and efficient performance of its functions under this Constitution or any other law”.

The Executive Secretary, CLOGSAG, Mr. Isaac Bampoe Addo, delivering a Lecture at the 5th Nathan Anang Quao Lectures held in Accra, dubbed “Abuse of Political Power in the Civil Service: The Bane of National Development”, bemoaned that although Ghana has been touted as a beacon of democracy, good governance and a story of hope for Africa and other developing nations in the world, the nation (Ghana) appears however not to have a strong, effective and efficient Civil Service.

He cited Politicisation as one of the contributing factors that has compromised the quality and effectiveness of the Ghana Civil Service.

Adding, the intensity of political interference in the fourth Republic, can be ascribed to some factors, not limited to; Winner-Takes-All nature of the 1992 Constitution; Creation of “jobs for the boys”; Campaign resources and loyalty; Moneycracy associated with political campaigning; patronage and clientelism as well as involvement of bureaucrats in politics.

Acknowledging that globally, the Civil Service administration cannot be divorced from political influence, he stressed that Politicisation has indirectly affected the mandate of most Civil Service organisations, stifled development, affected Civil Service reforms and has “injured” Ghana’s fledgling democracy.

The Association, therefore, called for a review of the President’s power of appointment while strengthening existing laws to help minimize Politicisation in Ghana’s bureaucratic set-up.

Touching on specific levels of abuse of political power, the Executive Secretary lamented that, “in our quest to be professional in our work and stick to the principles underpinning the Service, we end up courting disaffection from the political divide”.

“Compliance with the policies of a particular government or politician also creates a delicate situation for most Civil Servants, particularly the senior ones as such work ethic is misconstrued as allegiance to a particular political divide”, he added.

Mr. Bampoe Addo hinted that politicians have frowned upon the existing bureaucracy within the Civil Service structure as it is perceived to be deliberate delay tactics which in turn, make politicians non-adhering and non-complying with the tenet of the Civil Service Principles.

According to CLOGSAG, an identified instance of intrusion of the politicians in the Civil Service activities is the creation of parallel Institutions staffed with party apparatchiks to rival the Services in the implementation of government policies and programmes. This he said, to a large extent duplicated the efforts and services offered by staff of the Civil and Local Government Services.

He also noted the recruitment of party apparatchiks as consultants to perform routine Civil Service functions and paying them higher unearned salaries, thus ballooning the Civil Service wage bill as reported in the 2020 Auditor-General’s report for MDAs and MMDAs. Saying, “hindsight evidence reveals that the so called ‘ghost names’ that cannot be identified in the Civil Service payroll have turned out to be Personal Assistants of Ministers”.

According to the Association, another situation which is a clear example of abuse of political power is the political appointments of Chief Directors and Heads of Departments to the Civil and Local Government Services which contravenes the Supreme Court ruling (writ no. J1/16/2016, 14th June, 2017). 

The Executive Secretary, hinted that a key function taken over by the political appointees is furthermore in the area of Policy Initiation and Formulation. “Instances of this can be cited in almost all the Ministries leading to weak Policy Coordination and Management”, he disclosed.

He further identified, among others that, succession plans for the Services are truncated by political appointments and institutional arrangements which do not go in tandem with the dictates of regulatory frameworks. “Ultimately, these interferences lead to loss of Institutional memory which is very important for the development and progress of the Services and Policy Management”, he decried.

Speaking on the way forward, CLOGSAG proposed that appropriate steps should be undertaken to ensure that Conditions of Service is enhanced and maintained at the level that would exact the requisite performance standards.

Also, Politicians must desist and resist the temptation of creating avenues of employment for their teeming supporters to avoid unnecessary duplications of efforts and wanton dissipation of scarce government resources.

A review of the laws/Civil and Local Government Services Acts as well as insulation of the Services from direct political interference and machinations, among others, were recommended.

He reiterated that no government can achieve its objectives without a well-motivated, properly structured and well-resourced administrative machinery.

CLOGSAG, therefore, maintained that the pivotal role of the Civil Service in National Development as the wheel of Government machinery cannot be overlooked. Thus, the need for the PSC to regulate the various policy requirements of the Services as provided by the constitution in Article 197. This, he said, will to a very large extent, insulate the Civil Service from political abuse.