Professor Ransford Gyampo, an Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Ghana, has expressed concern that the growing trend of Ministers hiring personal advisors and consultants was creating a “parallel” civil service.

Delivering the 7th Nathan Annang Quao Excellence Lecture in Accra on Tuesday, he said the development undermined the integrity and effectiveness of the established civil service, leading to issues with accountability and transparency.

The lecture, on the theme: “The Weberian ideal of political neutrality among civil servants: a review of the situation in Ghana,” was in honour of Nathan Annang Quao, a celebrated Civil Servant who worked under five successive governments.

Prof. Gyampo observed that Ministers hired advisers and consultants at higher wages than civil servants, leading to demotivation and inefficiency among public employees.

“It is knowledge of how partisan our civil bureaucracy has become that has led to disingenuous attempts by some politicians to strive to create a parallel civil service of their own to rival the existing civil service.

“They do this by recruiting consultants and advisors who are heavily paid to do the work expected to be done by the civil service. So, people would continue to loiter around at the workplace without doing much,” he said.

Prof. Gyampo called for sustained education and sensitisation on the significance of political neutrality among civil servants, adding that public employees who indulged in partisan politics should face punitive consequences.

He said the politicisation of the Civil Service was eroding confidence in the service and rallied the service to question the appointment and recruitment of civil servants purely on partisan grounds.

“Let us push for Chief Directors to be made to rise through the ranks to attain such positions without political hands playing any role,” Prof. Gyampo said.

Mr Isaac Bampoe-Addo, Executive Secretary, Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), said state institutions, administered though decentralised local governance structure, should regulate mining activities to curtail illegalities in the sector.

“It is time for us to evaluate the democracy that has characterised governance under the Fourth Republic to ascertain whether this type of governance is helping us to develop,” he said.

The CLOGSAG awarded some public servants who had distinguished themselves in the discharge of their duties and contributed to building professional service.

Mr Ralphael K. Tuffuor, a former Controller and Accountant General, clinched the ultimate award.

Other awardees were Mr Jones Agyeman, Development Planning Officer, Obuasi East – Tutuka); Mr Ernest Deladem Kwakuyi, Director, Ministry of Energy; Madam Ruby Yaa Korantiwaa Akae, Staff, Civil Service Council, and Madam Caroline Ansoah Kuuzegh, Planning Officer, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.