… Aviation minister to receive report and forward to President
The B&FT has gathered that the board of Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), chaired by Madam Oboshie Sai-Cofie, is to communicate a decision they reached on the impasse between staff of the company and its Managing Director (MD) Yaw Kwakwa to the Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda, for onward presentation to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Staff of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) on Tuesday adorned the premises of the company with red colours to demand the Managing Director’s removal, accusing him of mismanagement. In a petition to President Akufo-Addo through the chief of staff, the workers argue: “The Managing Director since assumption of office 2 years ago has demonstrated gross incompetence, insensitivity and lack of understanding of the critical Aviation Industry, and therefore his continued stay in office will further detail the company’s progress. Lack of interest in staff welfare issues resulted in several outstanding payments owed staff, among others”.
The petition further accused the MD of: “Deliberate refusal to implement several interview reports lying on his desk for over two years, and also outsourcing key aspects of the company’s operations at exorbitant cost – notwithstanding the availability of in-house capacity”. The services, according to the workers, include carpentry and plumbing work among others. The leadership of Ghana Airport Company Limited Divisional Union of the Public Services Workers Union, PSWU, in the petition stated the only way out is removal of Yaw Kwakwa as MD.
The petition has been forwarded to the Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda, and was further sent to the board of GACL for cogitation and advice. When this paper contacted the minister on the matter, he said he is awaiting advice from the GACL board to make an informed contribution.
He said: “The fact of the matter remains that the workers cannot decide who should be the MD, they cannot appoint; they present their views and let me pass it on to the president. The president will say, ‘Look, this merits a dismissal, this merits a promotion, this merits a disciplinary action; or, they are not right with what they are doing, or they are not being fair, and give the reason why they are not being fair’. So let me not second guess that, let me get the views of the workers and the board.
“Nobody is an appointing authority including the minister, not the works and board; we just recommend and the president appoints, case closed. Everything that comes up needs to be investigated; just because the minister does not like somebody, he says let’s get rid of him; or the minister says I like you so let’s go and make you the MD; it doesn’t happen that way.”
The minister added that his outfit is very concerned about developments in the sector, and will put in all necessary efforts to ensure an amicable solution and maintenance of peace in the sector.
