Former Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mrs Anna Bossman, has made a strong case for the urgent passage of the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, arguing that it is critical to ensuring ethical governance, transparency, and accountability in Ghana’s public sector.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Mrs Bossman welcomed the introduction of a new Code of Conduct (2025) by President John Mahama for ministers and political appointees, describing it as a commendable initiative to promote integrity and curb corruption.
“I think that probably the intention to have a code of conduct, which really is an ethical standard that he is setting for his appointees, is a good one,” she stated.
However, she was quick to stress that the real challenge lies in enforcement, which remains weak under the current setup.
“A code of conduct for ministers is just a set of ethical guidelines which you should follow and principles they should apply. But when you think about the enforcement, where it looks like the enforcement of some of these clauses is going to be at the discretion of the president…” she cautioned.
Read also: Mahama’s new Code of Conduct for Ministers: 10 key rules
Mrs Bossman warned that such discretionary enforcement could undermine both credibility and consistency in holding public officials accountable.
She called for Parliament to prioritise the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, which she said provides a stronger legal basis for managing the behaviour of public servants. “What is important is that these ministers are public servants, and therefore, there is the Conduct of Public Officers Bill. That is the one that should be, first of all, passed into law. It should come before Parliament and be passed into law, and that will make it much easier for the president to be able to manage his appointees,” she urged.
According to Mrs Bossman, once passed, the bill will provide a clear, enforceable framework for ethical conduct in public service, moving beyond mere guidelines to binding legal obligations.
She revealed that CHRAJ has consistently advocated for the bill, which has stalled in Parliament for years, despite repeated calls from civil society and anti-corruption institutions.
“CHRAJ, I believe even this year, came up and urged Parliament to pass this bill, which has been held in the bills committee for such a long time. CHRAJ itself did a lot of work on the code of conduct. The problem for CHRAJ at that time was that it was not a law; it could not be enforced,” she explained.
She further noted that the principles contained in the bill have been widely tested and refined over time by CHRAJ, Transparency International Ghana (TIG), and global legal frameworks, making its passage both timely and necessary.
Mrs Bossman’s call reinforces growing public and institutional pressure for Parliament to act decisively and anchor ethical governance in legislation, not just presidential directives.
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