ECG Workers Demand MD’s Exit

Employees of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) yesterday staged a protest at the company's head office in Accra, demanding the removal of the Managing Director (MD), Robert Dwamena from office.

The workers, who were clad in red attire and held placards, said the MD had exceeded the age of retirement – 60 years – and was therefore not supposed to be at post.

The MD is said to have celebrated his 60^th birthday on September 28, this year.

The disgruntled workers vandalised the glass door to the office when they were denied access to the head office.

But personnel of the Ghana Police Service stormed the offices of ECG and stalled their activities on grounds that they did not have permit to carry out the protest.

The police ordered the workers go to the office of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to lodge their complaint.

At the TUC offices, the protesters gave a week's ultimatum to the leadership of the TUC to ensure the removal of MD of ECG from office.

Frank Adjetey Badu, National Secretary of the Electricity Staff Union, said “we believe he has done his best, and there is nothing more he can add at this stage. So we think it's good at this point in time that he should honourably go on retirement.”

The disgruntled PUWU members have in recent times protested against the privatization of ECG and demanded the review of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact which reportedly has a roadmap for massive lay-offs.

The workers told the media in Accra that they had been reliably informed that the MD had been offered a one-year extension of his term.

“That is what we are not happy about,” they stated.

The Millennium Development Authority (MIDA) has on several occasions downplayed assertions by the workers that the MCC compact would impact negatively on the operations of the ECG and result in massive lay-offs.

“The reality is that the concession arrangement will create more jobs in the power sector,” a statement from MiDA has emphasized.

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By Samuel Boadi