Former Legal Counsel to for President Akufo-Addo, Kow Abaka Essuman, has called for reforms in Ghana’s public service to prevent public officials from making what he describes as discriminatory decisions over the payment of salaries and other entitlements.
He said the continued delay in paying salary arrears owed to persons who served at the Office of the President highlights the need for stronger systems within the public service.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on Morning Starr on Starr FM, Mr Essuman said there is a need for clear rules to prevent individuals placed in positions of authority from deciding who gets paid, when they get paid and how they get paid without providing adequate explanations.
According to him, public officials should not have the discretion to determine which category of workers receives payment ahead of others when the relevant approvals for the payments have already been given.
Mr Essuman described the situation as unfair and discriminatory, arguing that affected employees should not have to fight for payments to which they are entitled.
“It is unfortunate that 20 months down the line, we’re still claiming salary arrears that are due to us. It’s simply unfortunate,” he said.
He said the experience demonstrates the need to fix Ghana’s public service by putting in place rules that would prevent people in positions of authority from abusing their offices through decisions on salary payments.
“We need to have in place rules that prevent persons that are put in certain positions from abusing their office by making discriminatory payments or making determinations on who gets paid, when they get paid, how they get paid,” he said.
Mr Essuman also questioned the practice of officials making decisions about payments without giving affected persons an explanation as to why their monies have not been paid.
He said such decisions should not be made without affected workers being given a proper explanation.
“By feeling or taking it upon themselves to decide that you’re not entitled to an explanation as to why you haven’t been paid or so on and so forth,” he said.
Mr Essuman argued that workers who have performed their functions under an agreement with the state should be able to expect the state to honour its obligations without having to engage in prolonged efforts to secure what is due to them.
He said the situation has left him with the view that public-sector workers sometimes have to fight for what they are entitled to.
“It tells me that, you know, you’d have to fight for everything that you’re entitled to,” he said.
Drawing a comparison with the private sector, Mr Essuman said such a payment issue would not have been allowed to drag on for this long.
“In the private sector, you don’t have to do that. You know, in the private sector, this matter would not drag on as it has dragged,” he said.
Mr Essuman said the issue should therefore go beyond his personal case and become an opportunity to strengthen the systems governing Ghana’s public service.
“It is one of the reasons why we need to fix our public service,” he said.
He maintained that clear and enforceable rules are needed to ensure fairness and transparency in the payment of public-sector workers and to prevent payment decisions from being left to the discretion of individuals in positions of authority.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Pamela Quayson
