Reject favouritism, uphold merit in governance

Thirty-three young professionals have graduated from the Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) Ghana Public Service Fellowship Programme, with a call to embrace merit, integrity and ethical leadership in the public sector.

The graduation ceremony, held on July 2, 2025, marked the completion of a year-long placement for the sixth cohort on the theme “Staying to Build: Re-Imagining Public Service Leadership.”

A former Auditor-General, Daniel Yao Domelevo, addressing the ceremony, urged the graduates to pursue public service with a clear sense of purpose and fairness.

“The public sector is critical, as it fuels the engine of growth. But if it is corrupt or inefficient, like dirty fuel, the engine of progress stalls,” Mr Domelevo said, adding, “If you choose to serve, you must be prepared to drive change and challenge the status quo.”

He warned against tribalism and favouritism, describing them as conditions weakening the country’s development. He recalled being asked to support an appointment based on personal connections, which he declined.

Honest leadership

Mr Domelevo also called for leadership grounded in honesty, equity and long-term thinking. He said public service demanded transparency and a willingness to acknowledge personal and institutional limitations.

“Ghanaians deserve leaders who tell the truth, not those promising heaven on earth. Don’t let yourself be pushed to a level of incompetence where you can’t perform,” he said.

The Country Director of EPL Ghana, Juliet A. Amoah, encouraged the fellows to reimagine the role of public service and to help restore trust in public institutions.

“To re-imagine public service is to break free from the tired script of inefficiency, bureaucracy and mistrust,” Ms Amoah said. “We don’t just fill vacancies; we fill them with values.”

The Head of Programmes at EPL Ghana, Elizabeth-Zionita Akorfa Dzah, described the journey of the fellows as one marked by persistence, learning and gradual growth. She urged them to be consistent and to see value in small, everyday contributions.

Institutional placement

The graduating fellows were placed in several public institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Commodity Exchange, Ghana Enterprises Agency, the National Development Planning Commission, and the Millennium Development Authority.

For the first time, EPL Ghana introduced awards as part of the ceremony. Charity Ama Yekple, who served at the Ministry of Finance and represented the cohort, received the Public Service Fellowship Excellence Award.

Abel Buertey Okudzeto of the Ghana Commodity Exchange received the Innovation in Leadership Award, while Naomi Tiyumba Joseph, placed at the Ghana Education Service, was recognised as EPL Values Ambassador.

Two members of the incoming Cohort VII, Priscilla Elorm Akrong and Mohammed Napare Abdul Hakam, were also presented with Founders’ Awards.

EPL Ghana is part of a continental network supporting young professionals to enter and strengthen public institutions across five African countries.

It is funded by the Mastercard Foundation and implemented in partnership with the Office of the Head of Civil Service and the Public Services Commission.

The ceremony ended with a symbolic pinning of the graduates by Ms Amoah and an alumni representative, officially inducting them into the EPL Alumni Network, which now includes over 500 members across the continent.