Professor Atsu Ayee, Dean of Social Studies of the University of Ghana on Wednesday said despite the highly intense political environment, public servants could remain neutral and apolitical by following laid down rules and regulations within which they operated.
Speaking at the 12th Annual Public Services Commission's Lecture in Accra, Prof. Ayee said being neutral would allow public servants to perform their roles creditably and take good decisions based on prudent judgment.
His topic was: "Reinforcing Democratic Governance in Ghana: Public Servants and Partisan Politics."
He said the growing politicization of the public service posed a threat to the professional status of public servants and did not augur well for democratic governance.
Prof. Ayee said since the return to constitutional rule in 1993, there has been steady increase in the number of public servants in partisan politics.
"In 2009, there are 68 members of Parliament as against 32 in 1993, whose last employment was in the public services," he said.
Prof. Ayee said, although the figures might seem negligible, the worry was that high profile public servants either actively campaigned for political parties or stood for primaries without resigning their positions thus giving the service a negative image and reputation.
He attributed the growing interest of public servants in partisan politics to the liberal environment of democratic governance created by the 1992 constitution which gave all citizens the right to form or join political parties and to participate in political activities.
Besides, public servants were being enticed by the trappings and the generous incentives that were enjoyed by political office holders, especially since the working environment and conditions of service were not attractive, he said.
Prof. Ayee said others also saw politics as a retirement package, which one could exploit to one's own advantage as a compensatory mechanism.
He said, the constitution and other legal documents debar public servants from engaging in partisan politics and which was also implied in Article 191, which protected them against victimization, discrimination, dismissal, removal, reduction in rank and punishment without just cause.
However, he said, the intense partisan politics under the Fourth Republic had made it difficult for some public servants to retain their reputation as being 'above party'.
Prof. Ayee said to reduce the temptation of public servants engaging actively in partisan politics, it was important to review the appointing power of the President under the Constitution, which was sometimes used to build patronage for himself and his party, by streamlining the modalities for appointment.
"There is also the need to improve conditions of service by making it more attractive to dissuade public servants from entering politics and adhere to rules and regulations governing the public service and sanction public servants," he
said.
Prof. S.N. Woode, Chairman of the Public Services Commission (PSC), said this year's public lecture was to highlight the problem of public servants and their active participation in partisan politics.
"We seek a better understanding of the problem so that, we will be better placed to bring it under control for the balance and harmony of our Republic".
While the provisions in the code of ethics of the Ghana Civil Service made it clear that civil servants should not engage in partisan politics, Prof. Woode said since the return to competitive, multi-party democratic rule some members of the public service turned into politicians with the approach of general elections.
Prof. Woode said the temptation for a public servant standing for office was that of either soliciting funds or receiving financial support from those who had benefited or hope to benefit in the future from his decisions.
"It is in the nature of giving that when the gift is of certain value and helps you to achieve something which you could not otherwise have achieved that you become beholden to the benefactor," he said.
The PSC annual lecture was launched in 1998 to create a public service platform where topical and strategic issues on national development generally and on the public services could be freely discussed and debated.
The theme for the 12th edition is: "Public Servants under Constitutional Governance."