The Senior Staff Association (SSA) of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) are drawing the attention of President John Dramani Mahama to some political appointments made to the companies, which they insist would put Ghana’s power sector in a serious crisis.
The Staff Groups object to the purported appointments of R.A. Abdul Jalil, the Savannah Regional Communications Officer of the NDC, as the Director of Public Affairs for VRA, and Jonathan Abdallah Salifu, the Upper East Regional NDC Communications Officer, as the Public Affairs Director of NEDCo. Speaking at a press conference in the Bono East Region, George Frimpong Antwi, the Techiman Area Chairman of VRA/NEDCo Senior Staff Association, said these appointments are not only irregular but also threaten the integrity and established protocols of the VRA/NEDCo operations under the VRA Act 46 as amended and the recruitment processes and policies adopted and practiced.
He reiterated that the only political appointments made by every President during a change of government are the Chief Executive Officer for VRA and Managing Director for NEDCo, but bringing other party executives who have no technical knowledge in electricity management or a staff member who has not risen through the ranks of the company to work as a Director simply because their party has won elections would be setting a very dangerous precedent.
The VRA/NEDCo Staff insisted that if these appointments stand, then it means there is no need to go through technical training before working at VRA/NEDCo or the electricity sector; therefore, all their members at Aboadze in Takoradi, Akosombo, Akuse, Accra, Tema, Anwomaso in Kumasi, Techiman, Sunyani, Bolga, Wa, and Tamale will rise to protect the companies from political takeover.
Finally, the VRA/NEDCo Staff are calling on the general public, particularly the various professional associations, to support their efforts to uphold the integrity and professionalism of service, because if these appointments are allowed to hold, then it means every worker in the public sector should expect that future governments can also bring a political appointee to take over their positions without any merit or wrongdoing.
Filed by Nana Kwadwo Adu from Techiman, Bono East Region.
