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Tamale, Ghana –The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Miss Gloria Akuffo, has assured staff of agencies under her Ministry of better working conditions.
According to her, budgetary constraint was a major challenge confronting the Ministry, adding that, once funds are made available, all their needs especially the most important ones that would enable them to work effectively and efficiently, would be addressed.
Miss Akuffo, who is on a familiarization tour of agencies under her Ministry in Northern Ghana, interacted with staff of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), Legal Aid Department and the Registrar General’s Department in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions.
The purpose of her visit, she said, was to acquaint herself with the challenges facing the various agencies and their staff as well as Monitor and evaluate their work.
Miss Akuffo told the staff that, in spite of the budgetary challenge facing the Ministry, “they can’t fold their hands up and sit unconcern. We will identify the easy ones, address it and later confront the bigger ones”, she stated.
She said plans were far advanced to put up offices for the Attorney General’s Department and residential facilities for State Attorneys in Tamale, Sunyani and Bolgatanga.
On their part, staff of the agencies appealed to the Attorney General to find solutions to their accommodation needs, promotions, inadequate staff as well as salary and allowances issues to enable them carry out their duty effectively.
The Director of Legal Aid in the Northern Region, Lawyer Issah Mahamud, told Miss Akuffo that the region was too big for him as lawyer to provide services to the people.
“For two years now, my office has not received more than 5000 Ghana cedis for its operations. We used our personal vehicle to go round in the region to render legal services”, Lawyer Mahamud lamented.
Regional Director of the Registrar General’s Department was not happy that Clients who come for services to be rendered to them could not be provided with a decent sitting place.
“The office furniture to serve clients is disheartening. Citizens paying cash for services and yet no decent place for them.
“Please let the powers transcend to the northern part, Ghana is not from Accra to Techiman”, Registrar indicated.
Responding to the concerns, Miss Akuffo corroborated the concerns of Lawyer Mahamud saying “the Legal Aid was only legal aid on paper”.
She however assured that, a bill to make Legal Aid Department a Commission was currently before cabinet and one’s it was passed into law, some of the problems confronting the department would be address.
Miss Akuffo also admitted that, lack of staff was a reality and that government was putting in place measures to address it. “The Ministry has been struggling to get clearance to recruit 600 staff to augment the existing staff strength. We only got clearance to employ only 50 people out of over 200 applicants” she disclosed.
The Minister commended the Tamale Office for keeping their offices very clean in spite of the difficulties unlike Wa where they don’t even have a washroom.
The Attorney General was however not happy that some dedicated staff who have qualified for promotion had still not been promoted and promised to address the issue.
By Savannahnews
