The Chief of Staff, Hon. Julius Debrah, has charged Ghana’s civil service to take full ownership of the country’s bold 24-Hour Economy programme, saying its success will depend not on politics but on the professionalism and dedication of the public service.
Speaking at the 24-Hour Strategic Integration Workshop in Accra, Mr Debrah said the civil service is the backbone of the new economic vision and must rise to the challenge of transforming how government institutions function.
“The 24-Hour Agenda is a bold step toward an economy that works for all. But we must understand that it is not and cannot be self-executing. It will succeed because the civil service makes it work by providing the continuity, collaboration, innovation, and accountability that turn vision into reality,” he said.
He reminded public servants that the new agenda is not simply about policies and speeches but about real delivery that ordinary citizens can feel.
“To the ordinary Ghanaian, it is not the President or a Minister who embodies this promise; it is the civil servant they encounter at the port, in the hospital, in the registry, or at the border,” Mr Debrah said.
He described the civil service as the “anchor of continuity,” explaining that while political leadership may change with elections, the public service must carry forward the long-term goals of the 24-Hour Economy.
“The 24-Hour Agenda, by design, is long-term. It seeks to re-engineer how our economy functions. Such a long-horizon reform cannot rely solely on the passion of political leadership,” he said. “The civil service must be the steady hand that keeps the 24-Hour Agenda on course, even as governments change and new priorities emerge.”
The Chief of Staff called on all heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to take the agenda as their own.
“Let us see it as an opportunity to modernise our institutions, sharpen our systems, and reaffirm the relevance of the civil service in nation-building,” he concluded.
