Government must make citizens feel seen through better public service – Julius Debrah

Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has called for a people-centred public service, saying citizens deserve dignity, fairness and efficiency whenever they engage state institutions.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Julius Debrah, says the true measure of government is not the number of policies it introduces but the quality of service citizens receive when they interact with public institutions.

Speaking at the launch of the book Citizen Experience: A Reset for Superior Public and Civil Service Delivery in Accra on Wednesday, Mr. Debrah said every encounter between a citizen and the state either strengthens or weakens public trust, making service delivery a critical pillar of good governance.

Reflecting on years of public service, he described the everyday struggles many Ghanaians face in accessing government services, noting that citizens often seek simple solutions rather than political promises.

“A citizen wakes up before dawn to join a queue. A mother travels from a village to a district office with a file in her hand. A young entrepreneur moves from one desk to another, asking only for a certificate that will allow him to begin. A pensioner, after serving this country for decades, waits patiently to be treated with the dignity he has already earned,” he said.

According to Mr. Debrah, these experiences reveal the real purpose of government and should shape how public institutions operate.

“In each of these moments, the citizen is not asking for a speech. The citizen is not asking for a slogan. The citizen is asking one quiet question: does this country see me?” he stated.

He explained that the book was inspired by conversations on how government could consistently place citizens at the centre of service delivery rather than treating public service as an administrative exercise.

Mr. Debrah noted that the publication was written from the perspective of both scholarship and practical governance, combining Professor Robert E. Hinson’s academic expertise with his own experience in implementing government policies.

He stressed that the objective was not to assign blame but to encourage institutions to become more responsive to the needs of citizens.

“It is not written from a place of blame. It is written from a place of duty,” he remarked.

The Chief of Staff maintained that restoring confidence in government requires public institutions to deliver services with fairness, clarity, speed and respect.

He added that citizens are more likely to trust the state when they experience efficiency and professionalism at government offices.

“When a citizen is treated with fairness, clarity, speed and dignity, trust grows. When a citizen is ignored, confused, delayed or humiliated, trust weakens,” Mr. Debrah said.

He urged public servants at all levels to remember that every interaction with a citizen presents an opportunity to strengthen confidence in government and demonstrate that public service exists to improve lives.

“The citizen will not remember every policy title. The citizen will remember how the state made them feel when they needed it most,” he concluded.