The Civil Service endorses Punctuality Campaign

Nana Kwasi Agyekum-Dwamena, The Head of the Civil Service on Tuesday endorsed the punctuality campaign and underscored the need to improve supervision at the various workplaces to check lateness and enhance economic productivity.

The punctuality campaign, being spearheaded by the volunteers of Punctuality Ghana Foundation, a civil society organisation, had already been endorsed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo towards achieving the “Ghana Beyond Aid”.

Mr Agyekum-Dwamena said punctuality was critical to national development since it affected every aspects of life and pledged the Service’s commitment to support the campaign.

He called on workers of the Public and Civil Services to change their attitudes to work since they were the “fuel” for powering the private sector.

He said the introduction of electronic system would help reduce human interface at the workplace, which would enhance productivity and reduce corruption, saying; “If we are diligent as a nation, we will be a great nation”.

He noted that mismanagement of time was one of the greatest resources going waste, which had heeded to the President’s call by introducing biometric clocking-in-and-out to check lateness within the Service.

Additionally, he said, the Service being the Central Management Agency of the Government, had developed service delivery brochures to guide the delivery of public services in a timely manner.

He said one of the key elements in the performance agreement deliverables for the Chief Directors of the Civil Service, was to stick to time, which he said was the only way the country could chalk successes like Japan, Korea and other developed nations.

Nana Agyekum-Dwamena said attitudes have been ingrained in us with some being cultural and there was the need for Ghanaians to change their attitudes to work and time.

He cited instances whereby about people have to wait for long hours just for the arrival of a senior official before kick starting a programme.

Such a phenomenon he described as unfortunate since it would not engender economic productivity and development.

Nana Agyekum-Dwamena acknowledged some challenges faced by workers of the Civil Service due to resource constraints, and assured the Service’s commitment to make the campaign successful.

The punctuality campaign comes on the back of the poor attitude to work and poor time management, which is a setback to the country’s development agenda.

The Volunteers of Punctuality Ghana Foundation was established on March 8, 2017, and started a public campaign in June last year to whip up public consciousness to abide by time in support of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s call for punctuality to work.

Mr. Emmanuel Amarquaye, a Punctuality Crusader, who is spearheading the campaign, said it aimed ensuring that Ghana became the most efficient African nation in the world in terms of service delivery.

He gave the assurance that the Foundation would facilitate government’s efforts at increasing revenue mobilisation, minimising corruption and attract foreign investment, as well as ensure the overall economic development of the country.