She said their core duty as staff of the FDA was about the health and safety of Ghanaians, “and we cannot afford to slip.”

Core mandate

“That is the seriousness of the work that you do. Let us remember that everything that we do is to protect public health and safety.

“Remember, if you close your eyes and allow somebody to forge a certificate for your own selfish gain, you can kill an entire community because that person is registering that product and for three years may not come back to you and so will kill so many people,” she told directors and regional heads of the authority in Accra on December 29, 2021.

The meeting with that section of the staff was to remind them of the core mandate of the authority and, together reflect on the year 2021 and take steps to ensure that they meet set targets for 2022. It was also to avoid slips in the cause of their duties.

Mrs. Darko reminded them of the core mandate of the FDA, which were team work, accountability and integrity, adding that anyone who sidestepped the core mandate would be dealt with without fear or favour.

Disciplinary action

She said management would not shield any of its staff who sought to tarnish the image of the authority, adding “as the internal disciplinary process is going on, the external process will also be going on.”

“We cannot allow one or two bad lots to spoil what the FDA stands for and so, let us weed those bad lots out.

“Let’s not forget that we are the only agency that affects every single life in this country. Please bear that in mind,” she told them.

Mrs. Darko asked the regional heads to hold similar sessions with their staff to keep abreast of the mandate and core values of the authority such that they did not fall prey to the traps all over them.

Above reproach

She said the fear was the public losing confidence in the authority through the action and inaction of staff, charging them to keep guard, “because if any of you does something and we find out, we will deal with you.”

The CEO ,therefore, challenged the staff not to allow the public to think that “we are a body that can be corrupted. Let’s disabuse their minds.

“All the public care about is that they will not forgive us if we make a mistake. Interestingly, only one or two people will help you to make the mistake and if you make the mistake, the over 38 million Ghanaians will not forgive you,” she said.

Commendation

While commending the staff for their selfless contribution to the success of the work of the authority, Mrs. Darko further charged them to maintain a high level of integrity, reminding them that without integrity, "we are doomed".

She said the year 2021 was largely successful because of the adherence to the core values of the agency, “coupled with hard work, determination and the quest to ensure that the FDA succeeds by staff.”