Democracy and Development Fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has cautioned against proposals to remove politically exposed individuals from the civil service.
Dr John Osae Kwapong described such actions as a “dangerous and unfortunate precedent” for Ghana’s governance system.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Dr Kwapong explained that the civil service is constitutionally mandated to remain neutral and non-partisan, serving the government of the day while ensuring continuity of public administration.
His comments come in response to remarks by Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, who argued that there was a need to purge the civil service of politically coloured staff to restore professionalism and impartiality in the sector.
Dr Kwapong, however, warned that such an approach could undermine the principle of meritocracy and weaken public confidence in state institutions.
He added that indiscriminate dismissals of civil servants on political grounds could violate constitutional provisions safeguarding their independence.
Responding on the same programme, Mustapha Gbande maintained his position, insisting that some top bureaucrats, including Chief Directors, have directly engaged in partisan political activities such as contesting parliamentary primaries and participating in campaign efforts.
Dr Kwapong, however, stressed that while such cases should be dealt with individually and within legal limits, broad attempts to cleanse the service of alleged political elements could violate democratic norms.
He added that reforms in the public sector should focus on strengthening accountability and professionalism, not political realignment.