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Chief Director of Ministry of Health
stirs up rift among civil servants
Accra, July 22, Ghanadot/GNA - Lepo-Wura Alhaji Mohammed
Nuru Deen Jawula Chief Director of Ministry of Health's
adorning of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) regalia and
appearing at the party's recent rally at Kasoa has caused a
rift among civil servants.
As the Head of the Civil Service, Mr Joe Issachar has called
for Alhaji Jawula’s resignation, the Deputy Executive
Secretary, Mr Kojo Krakani explains that the call for Alhaji
Jawula's resignation is an infringement on his fundamental
human rights.
Mr Krakrani said the 1992 Constitution does not debar civil
servants from engaging in active politics, "it is therefore
an infringement on the fundamental human rights of the civil
servant by limiting him only to the polling booth as an
expression of his political right and opinion."
In a press statement to Ghana News Agency in Accra on
Tuesday, Mr Krakani stressed that: "the civil servant is a
Ghanaian first and foremost, hence should not be
discriminated against in all spheres of endeavour including
participating in active politics once these are in the best
interest of Ghanaians."
He said the Constitution of Ghana is supreme above all other
laws including the code of ethics of civil Service and
called for a review of the civil services code to conform
with the Constitution.
In reaction to the controversy stirred by Alhaji Jawula's
appearance and formal introduction at the rally, Mr Issachar
last week stated that if the Director failed to resign by
end of this week, the Civil Service Governing Council (CSGC)
would take "appropriate action" against him.
Mr Issachar said the Code of Conduct for Civil Servants, as
well as the 1992 Constitution, frowned on active engagement
in party politics by civil servants and added that, Alhaji
Jawula's action was a flagrant disregard of the rules.
He said civil servants were expected to provide impartial,
objective and professional advice to successive governments
and that once an official displayed affiliation to a
particular party, he was deemed to have lost that
impartiality, objectivity, professionalism and neutrality.
"As soon as you start developing deep roots for a political
party, you cannot remain in the Service," he said.
The Head of the Civil Service said he was sure that Alhaji
Jawula, with his more than 30 years' experience in the Civil
Service, knew the implications of his actions and would
resign quietly to continue with politics.
He said the CSGC would meet this week and if at that time
Alhaji Jawula had not done the right thing by resigning, the
Council would be forced to take action.
GNA
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