The Supreme Court has cleared workers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to engage in partisan politics.
According to the ruling by the seven-member panel of Judges, workers of the two organizations do not belong in the category of persons barred from engaging in partisan politics by the 1992 constitution.
[contextly_sidebar id=”wa3cAYrUTbnpLVgqSbW4H7uGMkxBeauG”]The ruling follows a suit brought before the apex court by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu, Alex Afenyo-Markin challenging eligibility of the chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Effutu Constituency and others who work with Ghana Highway Authority and the GES.
In the writ, Mr Markin alleged that Paa Nii Lamptey, who works with the Ghana Highways Authority and an administrative officer with the Swedru Senior High School, Ernestina Yawson were contesting for the Chairmanship and Secretary positions respectively in the NDC and should not be allowed to actively participate in the exercise.
This, the plaintiff said was an act which was a violation of the Civil Service Act, which forbids civil servants from holding political offices while in office.
The court however ruled against it.
The 1992 Constitution provides that a civil servant may not accept any office, paid or unpaid, permanent or temporary, in any political organisation as well as declare himself or herself openly as a registered member of a political party or association.
The Constitution further provides that it was wrong for a civil servant to publicly indicate his support for any political party, candidate or policy, make speeches or join in demonstrations in favour of any political party, among others.
By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana