President Akufo-Addo has sacked the acting Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority(GPHA), Paul Asare Ansah.
The government has not any given reason for his removal, but the GPHA has been in the news recently after the workers union clashed with the chairman of the Board, Peter Mac Manu.
Last month the GPHA workers union accused Peter Mac Manu of conflict of interest and the interference in the daily management of the Authority.
The Union in a statement alleged that Mr Mac Manu had been running a ‘family and friends’ administration since he became Board Chair.
Chairman of the Union, Joseph Assib who spoke on the Union’s behalf accused Mr Manu of conflict of interest.
Mr Assib also accused Mr Manu of registering some seven companies and awarding contracts to same, without seeking the Board’s approval.
“The Board Chairman has seven companies in the port. The Chairman has three of his children as the biggest suppliers to the Authority. He has obtained for himself a contract of over GHC 4 million for the wiring of our newly constructed electrical and material block. He is intimidating management staff and as well interfering in the day to day running of the Authority,” said Mr Assib.
The Director-General of the GPHA, Paul Asare, however, said the union breached laid down internal communication mechanisms in organising the press conference.
“They are supposed to answer why they breached the procedure and then travelled to Takoradi without express authorisation. There were times when they had issues where they directed those issues to us as management- issues we do not understand, and we took the trouble to explain. We even organised workers durbars to address the issues for ease of understanding.”
The Board Chairman, Mac Manu has since denied the allegations and threatened to sue the union if the claims are not withdrawn. It is, however, unclear what caused the acting Director-General Paul Asare Ansah to lose his job.
Other cases at public institutions
Mr Mac Manu isn’t the first chairman of the board of a public institution has been accused of corruption.
Just recently, about 60 workers of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in Kumasi called for the immediate removal of their Board Chairman, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang.
The workers accused Mr Owusu-Agyemang of usurping the roles of the Chief Executive of the company and denying the workers what is due them.
The angry workers, held placards at the May Day event at the Baba Yara Sports stadium in Kumasi a few weeks ago, with inscriptions conveying their demands and called for the removal of the Board Chair.
Mr Hackman has however dismissed these allegations, saying workers were only fighting against his transformation agenda for the company.
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Source: citinewsroom.com/Ghana
