The future will not wait – Julius Debrah to Ghana Civil Service
Mr. Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff, has urged the Civil Service to embrace digital innovation tools, including artificial intelligence to transform service delivery as “future will not wait”.
He called for training of civil servants to enhance their digital literacy skills as the Government laid the foundation to promote what he termed as e-governance to revamp public service.
The Chief of Staff made the call when he addressed the Ghana Civil Service 2024 Awards Ceremony in Accra Friday night.
The awards, organised by the Office of the Head of Civil Service, honoured distinguished civil servants who had contributed immensely to the growth of the civil service.
It was on theme: “Adapting to automation, artificial intelligence, e-governance: the civil service in contemporary governance.”
Mr Debrah said technological advancement was redefining present data tools systems, with artificial intelligence and automation revolutionising the operations of governments across the world.
While commending the civil service for accepting and incorporating innovation in its operations, he said the service must be at the forefront of the digital revolution in government operations to be more efficient.
He assured that the President was fully committed to supporting the civil service to become a fully modernised, responsive, and digitally empowered service with the needed infrastructure.
Mr Debrah said the development of the National AI Strategy, the rollout of the One Million Coders Programme, among other interventions were key to incorporating digital tools in the governance architecture.
“We recognise that while reforms begin with leadership, their success rests on the commitment and capacity of the entire service. That is why digitalization has been at the core of our national development strategy,” he said.
More than 80 civil servants across civil service institutions were honoured at the 2024 Awards.
Mrs Eunice Osae, Chief Director, Office of the Head of Civil Service, was crowned the Overall Best Chief Director.
Other awardees included Mr. Stephen Yaw Osei, Chief Director at the Ministry of Works and Housing, who was adjudged as first runner-up, while Mrs. Eva Mends, Chief Director at the Ministry of Finance, was adjudged as second runner-up.
The awards and dinner event, held in Accra, climaxed a week of celebrations marking Civil Service Week, which commenced on 16th July and concluded on July 25, 2025.
In her acceptance message, Mrs Eunice Osae expressed gratitude to her colleagues at the Office of the Head of Civil Service for supporting her to achieve the milestone.
“We have weathered many storms and worked hard to push boundaries and improve systems together. To all the staff at the Office of the Head of Civil Service, this is for you,” she stated.
Source: GNA