Public Service Personnel have been called upon to live above reproach by abiding by the code of conduct ethics of their professions, Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr. Richard Quayson has said.
The Deputy Commissioner stated this at the weekend during a consultative meeting on the code of conduct for Public Officers held in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region.
He expressed dismay about the way and manner some public officers misconduct themselves, dragging the reputation of public office into mud, which must be changed.
The meeting, which was attended by public officers from the Public Service in the Region, was aimed at brainstorming on a prepared draft code of conduct and to re-enforce the code, to ensure that public officers strictly abide by it.
Mr. Quayson noted that chapter 24 of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana required public officers to avoid unethical behaviour or conduct such as conflict of interest, illicit enrichment and other improper
conduct.
He stated that code of conduct for public officers set out values, principles and standards of acceptable ethical behaviour and conduct, which were very important pillars for the entrenchment of good governance principles, and were used to combat corruption, enhance public confidence, public accountability and integrity in the public service.
Mr. Quayson deplored the situation where public officers used public office directly or indirectly for private gains, soliciting for gifts or favours, using state property for activities not associated with the performance of their official duties, emphasizing that those practices turned to compromise the performance of officers.
He urged public officers to eschew acts that would mar the image of the service and work harder to restore the lost integrity and dignity of the Service which it was known for in the 1960's.
The Commissioner of the Public Service Commission, Mrs. Janet Fofie who took the participants through the general principles and values of the Code of the Public Office explained that it was in the interest of the Public
Officers that the Code of Conduct was established to prevent them from being sanctioned anyhow or prosecuted.
She cited a lot of instances where the Public Service Commission had to deal with problems associated with the violation of the Code of Conduct by Public Officials.
She stated that a time would come where the law would deal drastically with public officials who violated the code of conduct of the public office.
Mrs. Fofie noted that plans were far advanced by the Public Service Commission and CHRAJ to submit a recommendation to the Government for the establishment of a National Ethnic Committee which would promote high
ethical standards among public officers.