Page 107 - Afrika Must Unite

92 AFRICA MUST UNITE

afford the opportunity for the free, democratic evolution of a
whole society. Insistence on the insertion of these clauses by the
British delegation to the negotiations on the constitution
stemmed from two purposes: to safeguard the interest of the
British expatriate who would be continuing his service with the
Ghana government; to give the G hanaian civil servant the same
status and security enjoyed by the British colonial civil
servant.
The first purpose we considered unnecessary. All along it had
been made clear by us that there was room in the new Ghana
for experienced service from men and women who worked here
in the Gold Coast civil service and desired to help the new state.
I expressed our willingness to welcome the continued stay of
those who were prepared to be loyal to the new government and
faithfully carry out the policies initiated by their political chiefs.
I guaranteed their salaries and pension rights and compensation
for loss of Colonial Office career. I considered it an imposition,
however, for the G hana Government to be forced to retain the
services of those who had elected to stay and were later found to
be incompetent, obstructive or disloyal. Let me say at this point
that m any expatriates have given excellent service to G hana and
have discharged their duties faithfully. Others have proved less
than competent and have failed to pull their weight. Some, we
know, continued in the service with the set purpose either of
hindering our efforts or of holding a watching brief for British
interests. It is certainly not just that the rights of such civil
service members should be safeguarded by clauses entrenched in
the constitution. As an independent government, the power to
appoint and dismiss civil servants must surely rest with the
government of the state, and this should hold whether the civil
servant is a British expatriate or a Ghanaian. For they play a
delicate, sometimes a key, part in carrying out government
policy.
The second British purpose is understandable: the desire to
bequeath to Ghana the pattern of civil service obtaining in Great
Britain. The purpose, however, is dictatorial and unrealistic,
and ignores the totally different needs of a less developed
state. I agree that the British civil service enjoys a high reputa­
tion for integrity, for probity, for loyalty to whatever govern­