Lepowura Alhaji M.N.D Jawula’s bid to partner the NPP’s flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo for the December elections was given a boost, when the head of Legal Resources Centre defended his right to retain his position as the Chief Director at the Ministry of Health and still pursue his political ambitions.
Mr. Edward Amuzu, who thinks the call for his (Jawula’s) resignation is unnecessary, argued the move amounts to an infringement on his right to association as stipulated in the 1992 constitution.
He said the rights to association as contained in the country’s statutory book made no exemption for any particular group, thus civil servants have the right to association.
Asking Alhaji Jawula to leave his job, he said, means taking away his right to association.
Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution, he told Joy News, “guarantees freedom of association which includes freedom of joining a particular political party.
“Now there is nothing in the constitution to indicate that this freedom of association is subject to any control or any citizen of Ghana losing that freedom of association once he is a civil servant.”
Mr. Amuzu was asked if his pronouncement does not subvert the Political Party Act that bars civil servants from taking part in active politics.
He explained: “No other law can stand in [the] face of a constitutional provision, if that law is contrary to the provision of our constitution.
Unless our constitution specifically states that subject to any provision in any other law specifically mentioned in the constitution …referring to any other law will fall flat in the face of our constitutional provision”.
According to the Head of the Legal Resources Centre, although he believed in high standards of professionalism by civil servants joining any association in his view should not affects one’s performance as a civil servant.
Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula’s hope of becoming Nana Akufo-Addo’s running mate suffered a jolt when he was sighted at the NPP’s rally at Kasoa clad in party paraphernalia.
Following that some Ghanaians including the Head of the Civil Service, Joe Issachar, prevailed on him to quit his position as Chief Director at the Health Ministry since his action contravened the Civil Servants Code.
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