Lepowura Muhammed Nuru Deen Jawula, 59, has resigned as Chief Director of the Ministry of Health. Jawula would be retiring from the Civil Service after over 30 years' experience in that sector. Alhaji Jawula also indicated his readiness to abdicate the Lepowura skin, a traditional chieftaincy title, saying his traditional superiors had given him the permission to do so. He recalled that former President Hilla Limann also abdicated his skin when he was nominated the presidential candidate of the People's National Convention (PNP), paving the way for him to become the President of Ghana. Reports said the retirement was to enable Jawula concentrate on the race for the running mate slot of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and also give him a better opportunity to campaign for the ruling party. Alhaji Jawula confirmed the reports to the Daily Guide on Monday and disclosed further that even if he did not get the nod to partner Nana Addo, he would still prefer to resign from the Civil Service and actively get involved in the NPP campaign. Alhaji Jawula raised eyebrows recently when he appeared at the Kasoa rally of the NPP, dressed in party colours, and was formally introduced on stage to the teeming party supporters. The Lepowura, during the said rally, also had a good number of NPP supporters backing his bid by carrying placards some of which read, "Jawula for Veep" and "NPP must pick Jawula". The head of the Civil Service, Joe Issachar was reported by the media to have frowned on Alhaji Jawula's open affiliation to the NPP and threatened to take appropriate action against him. The Civil Service Boss had argued that the Code of Conduct of Civil Servants and the 1992 Republican Constitution required that Civil Servants stayed away from active party politics to enable them provide impartial and objective advice to governments. Mr. Issachar had threatened to take "appropriate action" against Alhaji Jawula whom he accused of showing gross disregard for the Civil Servants Code of Conduct. However his position was challenged by the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Civil Servants Association, Kojo Krakani, who issued a counter statement indicating the group's support for Alhaji Jawula. Mr. Krakani in the statement noted 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." But the Civil Servants Association, at the weekend, denounced Mr. Krakani's press statement and disassociated itself from it. They said the association as a body had not declared any support for Alhaji Jawula, and apologised to the Head of Civil Service and the Chairman of the Civil Service Council for Mr. Krakani's indiscretion. The NPP is still in search of a running mate for its flag-bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Whoever gets nominated as the running mate would be introduced to the party on August 16 in Sekondi- Takoradi. According to speculators the second top position would definitely go to a Ghanaian of Northern descent who is also a Moslem. Source: Daily Guide