INSULATE PUBLIC SERVANTS FROM POLITICAL ACTIVITIES (PAGE 13, AUGUST 26, 2010)

THE District Co-ordinating Director (DCD) for Nkoranza South, Alhaji Haruna Abdul Salam, has appealed to political heads of the various Regional Co-ordinating Councils to insulate both public and civil servants from active partisan political activities.
He noted that, some political heads in the country, were trying hard to woo public/civil servants into their partisan programmes, saying, “It is happening elsewhere and we do not want that to happen here”.
Alhaji Salam made the appeal when he set the tone for a meeting of heads of Decentralised Departments and other quasi-sectors of the Nkoranza South District Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region with the Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo.
He declared, “Leave us to assist you and give us the trust and we will deliver”.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo was in the district to familiarise himself with ongoing and completed development programmes in various parts of the district and to also interact with traditional authorities and other authorities of some institutions.
The DCD, however, cautioned the departmental heads to remain as neutral as possible in the discharge of their official duties, adding that, they were at post to help implement the programmes and projects of the government and to ensure that, those activities were satisfactorily achieved.
“We are ready to support the government and help to make its programmes and policies thrive, and that is exactly what we are supposed to do no matter which government is in power,” he told the meeting.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, who was accompanied by some officials of the RCC and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Regional and constituency executives, also advised that, public and civil servants ought not to show their political colours, saying, “You are only to assist the government to prosecute its agenda of a ‘Better Ghana’”.
He pointed out that, there was no doubt that, even the Electoral Commissioner, had his sympathies for a particular party and again had a vote during elections but noted with satisfaction that, the commissioner did not display his political affiliation when discharging his constitutional duties.
The regional minister alleged that, there were some of the Heads of Departments who openly make certain remarks and utterances which tended to suggest the political party he or she belonged to, stressing that, “Your only duty as Public/Civil servants, is to support the government to achieve its goals and so just act in that line and save yourselves”.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo observed that, inasmuch as bureaucracy was allowed in official duties, it could also stall the effective running of affairs in the office if it was rigidly applied and enforced, through the chain of command.
However, he advised that, as heads it was expected that they made sure that the right things were done at all times, adding further that, there was the need for them to establish cordial relations with their subordinates rather than to subject them to inhuman treatment, since they were also human being.
The regional minister emphasised that, whatever good works or otherwise they carried out in their respective offices, would be judged by the present and subsequent generations, stressing that, he had ever personally worked with a hard- handed and an inward-looking director of a district assembly.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo gave the assurance that, the government would not in any way renege on its responsibility and commitment to ensure that, public and civil servants were duly rewarded with improved and better conditions of services.
The DCE, Mr Agyekum, also entreated the departmental heads to discharge their duties as professionals but not to mingle politics with professionalism, saying, “No matter the party you belong , we shall accept you, once you do not show biases. We will, however, meet you boot for boot for any attempt to play to the gallery by way of thwarting the ‘Better Ghana’ agenda”.
Earlier, Mr Nyamekye-Marfo had paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Nkoranza Traditional Area, Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom IV and his divisional and sub-chiefs at his palace, where Nananom expressed concern about the bridge on the Tanfiano River which had broken down, which Okatakyie Kudom stressed, had become a death trap to commuters between Nkoranza and Kintampo.
The Omanhene also appealed to the government to raise the Nkoranza South District to the status of a municipality, which was long overdue.