Public Servants urged to resist unlawful instructions from superiors

Mr Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has   urged public servants to refuse to obey “unlawful instructions” from their superiors.

“You must not obey instructions which are wrong and at variance with the Constitution and Code of Conduct for public servants,” he said.

Mr Quayson said this at a day’s workshop for Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Ho on the “Code of Conduct” for public servants.

He said the Code of Conduct was to empower the public officer to take decisions that were only in compliance with the law and urged them to get familiar with provisions in the Code to avoid becoming sycophants.

“You have to be courageous enough to advise your erring superior in accordance with the Code of Conduct,” Mr Quayson said.

He said where there was a breach; public officers should make reports to CHRAJ or the appropriate authorities for redress.

Mr Quayson said the whistle-blower’s Act has given enough protection to the whistle-blower provided the intention was to raise an alarm of wrongdoing and not out of malice.

Mrs Janet Fofie of the Public Service Commission called on public servants to protect the integrity of the Service and to project public servants positively in the eyes of the public rather than as “corrupt people.”

“We must all be self policing to ward off negatives associated with the Public Service,” she said.

Mrs Fofie advised public officers to desist from using their offices for personal gains and uphold justice, probity and accountability.

Source: GNA