Ho, Dec. 28, GNA - Mr Kwadzo Krakani, First National Trustee of the Civil Service of Ghana (CSG) on Wednesday criticized the trend among Ghanaian workers to close from work earlier than the stipulated time on holiday eves and report very late on the first day after holidays. He said the notion that Christmas eves were mandatory half days was misplaced, so also was the practice to leave work on Fridays earlier than closing time appalling.

Mr Krakani was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the general low turn out of workers, especially Civil Servants at their various offices in Ho after the Christmas holidays on Wednesday. He said the onus for ensuring that the right thing was done and that Civil Servants reported and worked diligently throughout the mandatory working hours and days lied with their supervisors. Mr Krakani criticized supervisors for condoning and conniving with their subordinates to flout work ethics and blamed lateness and absenteeism by workers on sheer laziness.

He said low productivity in the Civil Service was also due to the general lack of motivation, as most offices were still without the appropriate secretarial equipment, such as computers and low pay. "For example for the past 26 years that I have worked with the Department of Social Welfare in the Volta Region, the Department had never been allocated a vehicle, making its investigative and visit to clients a drudgery," Mr Krakani stated.

He expressed the hope that the Public Sector Reform Programme would not be limited to the headquarters of organizations alone but would cater for the equipment needs of Civil Servants to boost their morale. When the GNA went round the various offices of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) located at the Volta Regional Administration at 0830 hours, many rooms were still locked and cleaners were still at work leisurely sweeping.

The GNA returned at around 0945 hours but there was little change, as many offices were empty, while a few who, had reported stood on the corridors and veranda chatting or glancing through newspapers, suggesting no serious work could go on today.