Limit President's powers - Professor Gyampo

The Institute of Economic Affairs has expressed grave concern over the appointment powers given to the President per the constitution of Ghana.

According to the institute, such powers hinder national cohesion.

A Research Fellow at the Governance Unit of the IEA, Prof Ransford Gyampo, made these remarks at a forum organised by the institute on the theme: “Winner-Takes-All Politics in Ghana: The Case for a Review of the Appointing Powers of the President”.

He said: “The practice of appointing Chief Directors by the president to head public service must be halted as it compromises the efficiency and the neutrality of the public service.”

He explained that the practice undermined the role of the public service as an administrative machinery of the state and makes it easy for politicians to manipulate people in these institutions.

He advocated a strong technocratic public service with competent people that can manage the affairs of the country in the absence of an elected government.

He was not enthused about the practice where anytime there was a change in government one set of public servants is replaced by party “foot soldiers”.

He emphasised the need for objectivity in the public sector, even though individuals are still entitled to vote during elections.

“We have destroyed our public service and civil service because we are always looking at appointing Chief Directors and this politicises the…arrangement,” he added.

He said in other countries the public sector is staffed by “career officials”, citing an example using Italy which he said can run efficiently “for about three months without ministers or a president”.