President Kufuor inaugurates Civil Service Council

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday asked the reconstituted Civil Service Council to re-focus and re-invigorate the Service. He said the country deserved a Service that would demonstrate excellence in its duties devoid of excessive bureaucracy, divided loyalty and corruption.

President Kufuor made the call when he swore-in seven out of the eight members of the Council at the Castle, Osu. He administered the oath of office and secrecy to the members, who would advise the government on the appointment, training policies and other activities of the Service.

President Kufuor said it was unacceptable that a Civil Service that should serve as the Secretariat of the government should under-perform and be trapped in poor management, divided loyalty and red-tapeism especially against the private sector.

He said government was aware of the malaise in the Service and other government departments and agencies due to poor motivation, low morale, lack of opportunities for training and self-advancement.

President Kufuor said, " while I acknowledge that these are largely the result of years in which the Service had been marginalized and attempts had been made to politicise it to lose its integrity and efficiency through changing governments, I cannot but also blame some of the Civil Servants, who have been over opportunistic and have not always demonstrated sufficient integrity in their office for the current parlous state of the Civil Service".

To the members of the Council, President Kufuor said there was some urgency attached to their functions because the difficulties that the Civil Service faced had tended to weaken its capacity to respond promptly, effectively and selflessly to the expectations of the government and the Ghanaian public including the private sector whose interest the Service had to serve.

President Kufuor said government was aware that one of the pressing concerns of the Civil Service was over their conditions of service, their low salaries and poor incentives.

Dr Ebenezer Moses Debrah, a former Secretary to the Supreme Military Council (1973-76) and Chairman of the Council, said members would work towards a Service that would be professional, knowledgeable, and trustworthy and could be relied upon to execute decisions with despatch and in a transparent and cost effective manner. He said they would also ensure that the Civil Service enjoyed the respect and confidence of civil society because it was courteous, helpful, patient and problem solving and acceptable to the private sector.

Dr Debrah said the Service required personal commitment, a refreshing change of attitude to duty and a clear acceptance that the progress of the country did not depend on the government alone.

Other members of the Council were, Mr Justice Oduah Kwesi Sampson, a retired Supreme Court Judge, Professor Mrs Akua Kuenyehia, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon and Mr K. Obeng Adofo, Chief Director and

Acting Head of the Civil Service.

The rest were Mr B.K. Otoo, a retired Senior Principal Secretary, Mr Smart Y. Chigabatia, Executive Secretary of the Civil Servants Association and Mr E. N. Nortey, a Director at the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC). Dr Adu Gyamfi of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital was the only member absent.