Politics and Civil Service of Ghana: A challenge to the development agenda

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• Sankofa 10 years ago

  The Ghana Civil service does need a shake-up.
  
  It must be made much more efficient and effective, supporting government to address the problems of society and drive forward the development of our country.
  
  Civil servants ...
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  The Ghana Civil service does need a shake-up.
  
  It must be made much more efficient and effective, supporting government to address the problems of society and drive forward the development of our country.
  
  Civil servants must swear an oath to work for the government, whatever its political colour. Failure to do this should result in summary dismissal.
  
  The IMF bailout does include an agendum to right-size the Civil service. This should be the opportunity to revisit the civil service code and enshrine in it loyalty to government.
  
  We need some of our best talent in the Civil Service. These include analysts, policymakers, operational delivery staff, leaders and managers to run the Civil Service well and impact society positively.

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• Prof Lungu 10 years ago

  Seems to me if all that was said was to "right-size" the civil service, we will not be solving any problems with performance of the civil service.
  
  Civil servants working effectively, accountably, etc., ought to be the obje ...
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  Seems to me if all that was said was to "right-size" the civil service, we will not be solving any problems with performance of the civil service.
  
  Civil servants working effectively, accountably, etc., ought to be the objective. And they must be paid competitively, vis a vis private enterprise. That is the only way to "some of our best talent in the Civil Service."
  
  Greetings!
  
  
  Thanks.

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• Pelicles 10 years ago

  Look, as long as Civil Servants are Ghanaians, they will have some political lineage. It all started from our first republic and had continued to this day. Do you think Nkrumah did appoint some people from the other side of ...
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  Look, as long as Civil Servants are Ghanaians, they will have some political lineage. It all started from our first republic and had continued to this day. Do you think Nkrumah did appoint some people from the other side of the political divide knowing that they may harbor some ill intentions? No and never.
  
  That is where all the dirty clothing of the Civil Servants came from. The other aspect is the "tribal thing" and I will not delve into that. Please, just understand that. Thank you.

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• ko,no problem,a 10 years ago

  Pellicles, have your facts right before you state something as factual.Civil servants were not appointed by Nkrumah.
  The problem now is that the faithful civil servant in Ghana suffers unjustly when there is a change of gove ...
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  Pellicles, have your facts right before you state something as factual.Civil servants were not appointed by Nkrumah.
  The problem now is that the faithful civil servant in Ghana suffers unjustly when there is a change of government/administration. Even now a civil servant can be made miserable when there is a change of Ministers serving the same regime.
  Talk less if you do not have any experience in the civil service of Ghana.

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• Prof Lungu 10 years ago

  ko,no problem,a,
  We are with you on every point!
  
  One cannot conflate political appointment constitutionally approved, and the civil service! When we do we will be supporting a spoil system, and greedy bastards!
  
  Thanks.

  ko,no problem,a,
  We are with you on every point!
  
  One cannot conflate political appointment constitutionally approved, and the civil service! When we do we will be supporting a spoil system, and greedy bastards!
  
  Thanks.

  reply
• Kofi Ali 10 years ago

  Good article but who supervise the civil servants? Is it the same politicians whom you said appoint their tribal or religious loyalists to such positions in the first place? You and I are aware that people are only employ to ...
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  Good article but who supervise the civil servants? Is it the same politicians whom you said appoint their tribal or religious loyalists to such positions in the first place? You and I are aware that people are only employ to our civil service positions, of all levels, if they have recommendations from known politicians. Jobs in Ghana is just about who you know. It is even better when who you know, is a member of government in power. As long as we live with tribalism, our civil service will continue to suffer these anomalies.

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• Prof Lungu 10 years ago

  Timely essay.
  
  One cannot be for a spoils systems and still be for a Unitary system of government, worth anything, we must add.

  Timely essay.
  
  One cannot be for a spoils systems and still be for a Unitary system of government, worth anything, we must add.

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• say it loud 10 years ago

  Oh! we all were in the country in 2012/13 when ONLY NDC suppoters were employed into their then newly created districts. The writer failed to mention this.

  Oh! we all were in the country in 2012/13 when ONLY NDC suppoters were employed into their then newly created districts. The writer failed to mention this.

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• YIKRA 10 years ago

  Civil service has to be turned upside down, shaken and cleaned from inside out.
  It is dirty business over there. Under-performance seems to be their guiding principle with confusion or ineffectiveness parading the narrow cor ...
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  Civil service has to be turned upside down, shaken and cleaned from inside out.
  It is dirty business over there. Under-performance seems to be their guiding principle with confusion or ineffectiveness parading the narrow corridors and watching over the rusting air conditioners.
  
  A strong cleaner needs to come in and rewrite everything from beginning to end.
  
  No point building on a shaky, weak and archaic foundation. It will be swept away by under-performance and exploitation of gaping loophole by all and sundry.
  
  Total house clean is needed NOW.

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