Let’s safeguard nation’s peace - Security Minister urges civil servants
The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has urged members of the civil service architecture to act in ways that will ensure the protection of the public purse in order to safeguard the stability and peace of the country.
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He explained that for instance, the Public Financial Management Act, Public Procurement Act and the National Development Planning Commission among others, were tools, which when effectively utilised and adhered to, "can enable us to protect the public purse, promote transparency in the utilisation of state resources and ensure that state resources are equitably distributed and invested in areas to address development gaps that pose significant threats to human security in the country".
He added that the protection of the public purse championed by the civil service would help address the ongoing rapid spread of terrorism in West Africa which had been partly necessitated by the exploitation of local grievances
That, he said, included the lack of socioeconomic development, poverty, inequality and marginalisation - all of which served as drivers of radicalisation and recruitment.
Awards
Mr Kan-Dapaah was speaking at the 2023 Civil Service Awards Ceremony recently at the Accra International Conference Centre to climax the 2024 Civil Service Week celebration.
It was themed: "Combating Threats to Sub-regional Peace and Security: Perspectives of the Civil Service".
Corruption
Mr Kan-Dapaah called on civil servants to adhere to the highest form of professionalism and eschew all forms of corruption.
He said politicians often got blamed for acts of corruption while people forgot that "no politician can embezzle state funds without the active involvement of a civil servant whose job is to act as a gatekeeper against corruption".
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He noted that civil servants must remember that any fund embezzled robbed the state of its ability to build societal resilience against security threats.
The minister said any acts of indiscretion at any ministry or agency by civil servants could have adverse consequences on the state in safeguarding its territory against the infiltration of terrorists, rampant road accidents due to poor quality of roads and high mortality rate due to the absence of critical medicines to enhance healthcare delivery.
Mr Kan-Dapaah urged civil servants to renew their unalloyed commitment to the State, constantly reminding themselves that their actions or inactions had a direct bearing on the peace and stability of the state.
Commitment
The Head of the Civil Service, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darko, said the civil service was committed to enhancing its capacity in driving a national progress.
He added that leadership of the service continued to "imbue the Civil Service with greater productivity, resourcefulness and a result-oriented approach, while ensuring accountability to foster good governance and sustainable development.
Appreciation
In his appreciation speech, the Chief Director of Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ballans, expressed gratitude to the civil service for the honour of having been voted the best performing Chief Director.
He dedicated the awards to the minister in charge of his ministry and colleague chief directors of other ministries.