Growing up, we have all been inundated with stories of the good old days when fresh university graduates entered the public service from the junior officers’ role and step-by-step navigated their way to the very top of that public institution.
We have heard some aged and retired public servants share their stories of how they rose from down the ladder to become the head of the various public institutions they served.
One way or the other, we can remember sitting in a lecture, a conference, etc, where a seasoned public servant shared his/her story. He might have entered the service at the entry level straight out of school and risen through the ranks to the overall boss of that public institution.
The story might have been laced with discipline, sacrifice, and years of accumulated institutional wisdom. I’m sure he/she might have admonished the audience to “Work hard, stay true, and you can get there too,” and you might have clapped at the end and believed him/her.
The Turn of Events
But that was then. Today, on May Day, a day to celebrate workers, I find myself grappling with a painful truth that many public servants are enduring. Nowadays, it is apparent that the path to the top is no longer paved with merit but with political allegiance.
In Ghana’s public institutions today, it is becoming the norm and a tradition that top leadership positions are reserved for those with political connections, not for those who have toiled in the trenches for decades, gathering all the skills and experiences.
The hardworking career civil servant, who once dreamt of reaching the apex through loyalty, competence, and experience, is now watching their dreams slowly dim under the heavy shadow of politicization.
The Format
The template is in two forms. It’s either that the head of the institution is politically appointed outside the organization over senior executives who have passed through the mill to the senior positions. These persons are mostly without legally required qualifications, but by virtue of political connections, they are appointed to lord over career public servants. Just take time and read about the issues at the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA).
The new head of the agency arrives with no real understanding of the institution’s core work. Their first days are filled with photoshoots, their first meetings with buzzwords, and their first policy changes often undo years of steady, structured progress. Meanwhile, those who have dedicated their careers to the service, who know the systems, the people, the history, are pushed aside, made to feel invisible.
The second route is when junior officers, by virtue of their political affiliations, are appointed to head institutions over qualified senior executives. By law, many public servants are supposed to be neutral. That explains why there is a push for a neutrality allowance.
But unfortunately, those who flout the rules and engage in partisan politics while in office are rewarded in addition with heads of institutions over top officials who are better positioned and qualified for the role.
The Fallout
Newton’s third law of motion states that “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This phenomenon has unintended consequences and reactions. When politics or political affiliation becomes the caveat for which public servants can rise to the very top, then the country must brace itself for the consequences, some of which we have already started seeing.
Let’s take a look at some of them;
Demoralization and Brain Drain
When leadership positions in the public service become a reward for political loyalty rather than performance and experience, we shouldn’t be surprised by the result, such as demotivation, resentment, and eventual brain drain.
Why would a young, talented graduate commit to a system and work assiduously where effort is not rewarded and excellence is not recognized?
Many of the country’s brightest who do not have the heart for partisan politics are leaving, not because they don’t love the job, but because they no longer see a future in it. This is how the country is losing a significant part of its skilled labour force.
Experience Deficit
You will appreciate this better if you have had the rare opportunity of some senior public officials opening up to you about the competence of some of these politically appointed bosses. Some take positions with very little to zero knowledge, skills, and experience about the core operations of the institutions.
With this, they can’t hit the ground running since they are not able to provide any strategic leadership. They take years to learn on the job, which affects the performance of the institutions.
Disruption of Institutional Memory & Organizational Culture
Those who leave take along with them the institutional memory, technical know-how, and organizational culture that cannot be replicated overnight. Moreover, people brought from outside may take months, if not years, to learn and adapt to the culture of the institution.
For some of them, they try to create a culture of their own, causing friction and adaptation issues among staff. If such issues are not handled properly, organizational conflict will eventually break out, affecting performance, team cohesion, and morale.
Losing the Soul of Public Service
Leadership is not just about occupying the top office. it’s about vision, continuity, and service. Political appointments often come with short-term thinking, abrupt policy changes, and a tendency to align more with party interest than public interest. Over time, this undermines the very soul of the public service.
Institutions become fragmented. Culture is lost. Morale plummets, and the public receives a diminished quality of service.
It is not just by accident that some governance experts have raised concerns about the politicization of all the country’s public institutions. It is a very dangerous path the country is treading, which calls for introspection.
The Need for Restoration
As we mark May Day, it is not just about celebrating workers. It’s a time to reflect, to ask hard questions about the systems we work in, and to recommit to protecting the dignity of work.
In the scheme of the reset agenda, let us allow competence to lead. Let experience count. Let hard work be rewarded. If we truly want a strong, dependable public sector, we must do away with partisanship from leadership and rebuild a culture where every worker believes their efforts can take them to the top and not by aligning with a political party.
Happy May Day !!!
