Executive Secretary of Civil Servants supports Jawula

Accra, July 22, GNA - Lepo-Wura Alhaji Mohammed Nuru Deen Jawula Chief Director of Ministry of Health's adorning of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) regalia and appearing at the party's recent rally at Kasoa has caused a rift among civil servants.

As the Head of the Civil Service, Mr Joe Issachar has called for Alhaji Jawula's resignation, the Deputy Executive Secretary, Mr Kojo Krakani explains that the call for Alhaji Jawula's resignation is an infringement on his fundamental human rights.

Mr Krakrani said the 1992 Constitution does not debar civil servants from engaging in active politics, "it is therefore an infringement on the fundamental human rights of the civil servant by limiting him only to the polling booth as an expression of his political right and opinion."

In a press statement to Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday, Mr Krakani stressed that: "the civil servant is a Ghanaian first and foremost, hence should not be discriminated against in all spheres of endeavour including participating in active politics once these are in the best interest of Ghanaians."

He said the Constitution of Ghana is supreme above all other laws including the code of ethics of civil Service and called for a review of the civil services code to conform with the Constitution.

In reaction to the controversy stirred by Alhaji Jawula's appearance and formal introduction at the rally, Mr Issachar last week stated that if the Director failed to resign by end of this week, the Civil Service Governing Council (CSGC) would take "appropriate action" against him.

Mr Issachar said the Code of Conduct for Civil Servants, as well as the 1992 Constitution, frowned on active engagement in party politics by civil servants and added that, Alhaji Jawula's action was a flagrant disregard of the rules.

He said civil servants were expected to provide impartial, objective and professional advice to successive governments and that once an official displayed affiliation to a particular party, he was deemed to have lost that impartiality, objectivity, professionalism and neutrality.

"As soon as you start developing deep roots for a political party, you cannot remain in the Service," he said. The Head of the Civil Service said he was sure that Alhaji Jawula, with his more than 30 years' experience in the Civil Service, knew the implications of his actions and would resign quietly to continue with politics.

He said the CSGC would meet this week and if at that time Alhaji Jawula had not done the right thing by resigning, the Council would be forced to take action.