GHANA
The organisation representing Ghanaian Public Servants says the Government is illegally interfering in the structure of the country’s bureaucracy.
The Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) complained about breaches of employee privacy, audit-related infractions and the culture of recruiting Special Assistants, among others issues.
CLOGSAG has given the Government a two-week ultimatum to recall all PS employees it has compelled to take leave after replacing them with hired so-called Special Assistants.
The Association singled out the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, who, it said, had been recruiting outsiders to play critical roles in the Ministry.
Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Dr Isaac Paul Bampoe Addo (pictured) said the issues bordered on the excessive use of political power to obstruct set procedures and processes in appointments and administrative matters.
“There are situations where some Ministers have assumed administrative responsibilities and signed letters to Civil Servants for them to proceed on leave,” Dr Bampoe said.
“They were sidelined by Special Assistants who have, in effect, taken over their positions.”
He also said some Ministers had appointed internal auditors in “clear violation” of Civil Service procedures.
Dr Bampoe said as a result mistakes made by these “non-career Civil Servants” were being blamed on real PS employees.
He said the “wanton consultancies to private entities” were the cause of the breaches of privacy.
“Through such consultancies, private individuals and companies have gotten access to confidential information on workers within the Civil Service,” Dr Bampoe said.
“Now, it is a common phenomenon for our members to receive telephone calls from some companies or enterprises.”
Accra, 1 May 2018
