Civil Service must put citizens at centre of decision-making – Vice President

Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has urged civil servants to strengthen professionalism, collaboration and innovation to improve public service delivery.  

She said the effectiveness of government policies and programmes depended largely on the ability of the Civil Service to translate them into tangible results for citizens.  

“Please let us renew our commitment to professionalism, strengthen collaboration across ministries, departments and agencies, and place citizens at the centre of decision-making,” she said on Friday when she graced the 2025 Civil Service Awards, held to climax the 2026 Civil Service Week Celebration in Accra.  

The awards recognised outstanding civil servants and institutions for their performance during the period under review and their contributions to the work of the Civil Service and national development.  

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, Mrs Wilhelmina Asamoah, was adjudged the Overall Best Performing Chief Director.  

The Vice President said the Civil Service remained a critical link between government and the people, providing continuity across political administrations and the technical expertise required to translate government policies into action.  

She said the government is committed to reforms to make public institutions more efficient and responsive, including the National Public Sector Reform Strategy 2 and initiatives to strengthen public sector remuneration and public financial management.  

“These are not reforms for their own sake. They are ultimately measured by whether our institutions work better, public servants are better equipped, whether they perform their duties better, and whether citizens receive better services,” she said.  

The Vice President congratulated the award recipients and said their recognition should inspire them and other civil servants to uphold integrity, excellence and innovation.  

Head of the Civil Service, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, said the awards had a legal basis under Section 88(1) of the Civil Service Act, 1993 (Act 327), which provided for awards for meritorious performance in the Civil Service.  

He said the recognition should encourage officers to move from routine approaches to resourcefulness, from working in silos to collaboration, and from process-driven services to citizen-focused delivery.  

“Ultimately, the success of the Civil Service will be measured not simply by the work we undertake, but by the quality of services and the impact we deliver to the people of this republic,” he said.  

The annual Civil Service Awards form part of efforts to promote a performance-driven culture, recognise excellence and encourage innovation and accountability within the public service.  

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.