'Our boss won't vacate his official bungalow for the Interior Minister' — Staff threaten industrial action over directive

The staff of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have threatened industrial action tomorrow May 3, to express displeasure over an order for its Executive Director to vacate his official bungalow for the Interior Minister.

Mr Godsway Lawson Daniels, the Divisional Chairman of the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) of the Trades Union Congress of the EPA, said the Agency received a letter from the Ministry ordering the EPA Executive Director to vacate the bungalow or be forcefully ejected.

Mr Daniels at a news conference in Accra said the EPA had occupied the bungalow since 1972 and that all its Executive Directors stayed in the same building.

“It's unfortunate that at this time that all State Directors are unstable and are also hit by this economic crisis that they are asking us to vacate. The Agency has spent a lot in building and renovating the bungalow to the status that befits its Executive Directors and we are not in any position to get another bungalow.

“We have suggested that the Ministry of Housing rather allocates any other bungalow that is empty to the Minister, however, they are saying its the EPA’s building they want.

“We want to know, where is the official residence of the Interior Minister? Who is occupying it or who has it been given to? Why can't the Housing Minister get another bungalow for the Interior Minister? Has the residence been sold to another person? Who is that person?” he asked.

“…The same government that appointed Dr John Kingsley Krugu a few months ago is taking action to make him homeless.

“EPA does not have money to renovate any government property to suit its Executive Secretary. We expect the Interior Ministry and its Minister, Henry Quartey, to go after their own residence and leave EPA's residence alone,” he added.

The Chairman said EPA staff, clad in red, would petition the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation tomorrow, and then move to the residence of its Executive Secretary where the supposed ejection would happen.

He said if the concerns were not addressed they would take legal action against the parties involved.

Mr Kwame Freduah, the Vice Chairman of the PSWU, TUC, called on all civil society, public institutions, faith based organisations, and traditional authorities to support their call, adding: “Today, it is the EPA, tomorrow it may be another public institution.”

GNA