ASEPA condemns NPP's thanksgiving at working hours

The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of flouting his own directives by using working hours for church service.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government organised a thanksgiving ceremony in the morning of Thursday, December 7, to mark one year anniversary of the 2016 elections which brought them into power.

But ASEPA in a statement indicated that: “Services at the ministries were brought to a halt as ministers and deputy ministers all left their offices or failed to show up at the office just to attend a thanksgiving service of a political party. Parliament was also not spared as members of the majority jilted parliament for the thanksgiving service putting the business of the house under serious jeopardy” adding “the losses in terms of productivity yesterday run into millions of cedis”.

The group recounted how the President issued a directive against religious services early this year, yet the President is not adhering to the rule.

“In an address to some civil servants and government officials in March this year, the President chastised civil servants not to use their morning working hours for prayers or church service because the lost in production time cannot be accounted for or be restored,” the statement issued on Friday, 8 December and signed by its Executive Secretary, Mensa Thompson, stated.

For them, the action by government is condemnable and they should be held to task to solve the issues of the country and not waste precious time in unproductive engagements.

Below is the full statement:

ASEPA CONDEMNS NPP THANKSGIVING SERVICE ON WORKING HOURS

ASEPA express serious reservations about government's decision to hold a thanksgiving service for the NPP on a working day and at official working hours.

Yesterday, the entire civil service of this country was left unproductive as members of government who mainly supporters of the NPP thronged to a thanksgiving service organized by the party.

Services at the ministries were brought to a halt as ministers and deputy ministers all left their offices or failed to show up at the office just to attend a thanksgiving service of a political party , parliament was also not spared members of the majority jilted parliament for the thanksgiving service putting the business of the house under serious jeopardy.

The MMDA's were also not left out of the Party as Chief Executives and other functionaries also jilted the assemblies and left everything at standstill.

The losses in terms of productivity yesterday runs into millions of cedis.

This is a very worrying situation for our country and the President must live up to his own words.

In March this year in address to some civil servants and government officials, the President chastised civil servants not use their morning working hours for prayers or church service because the lost in production time cannot be accounted for or be restored.

Isn't it worrying then the President himself has been caught up in his own gaffe when he actually ditched his office and other important government businesses Thursday morning just to attend a thanksgiving service?

But the point is exactly what is the government and for that matter the NPP thanking God for? Is it for the worsening living conditions of Ghanaians or for the continuous escalation of fuel prices or the rapid depreciation of the cedi or for the several unaccounted challenges and difficulties bedevilling the free SHS program?

Is it for the convoy of corruption scandals that has rocked the country since January and it's associated cover ups or the wreckless bigotry ethnocentric,divisive and unprofessional statements by top government officials?

A political party's success must always be in consonance with the amount of relief it brings to the people through life touching social policies,creating opportunities for young people and improving the standards of basic social amenities.

If government haven't achieved any of these then it has no business celebrating or making merry else it would be caught in a Chandon of mediocrity and irreparable social crisis.

We want government get serious with the problems confronting this country. Especially about the issues of unemployment, social inequities and corruption.

The people of Ghana cannot wait for four years when their lives have already been worsened off.

Fix the problems, that is the reason why Ghanaians voted for you and leave all the merry for your retirement when the nation decides not to retain you in the 2020 general elections.

Signed

Mensa Thompson Executive Secretary ASEPA 0243019131

Info. thompson.live@gmail.com