GUTA Brawl: Our National Leaders Lack Capacity To Dissolve Us

Some members of the dissolved Greater Accra Ghana Union of Traders' Associations (GUTA) Executives have distanced themselves from the press release issued on July 10 by three of their members who sought to resist their dissolution by the national executives.

Mr Kwadwo Amoateng, Nana Poku and Mrs Irene Victoria Odoom issued a press statement saying they do not answer to the national executives of the association and, therefore, GUTA national cannot dissolve their group.

“The national executives of GUTA lack the capacity to dissolve the Greater Accra GUTA. Greater Accra GUTA is registered under the Act 1963 (ACT 179) with registration number CG114062017. We hereby entreat all Ghanaians and the over 5000 registered members of GUTA Greater Accra to debunk all allegation levelled against the executives of the Greater Accra as it is unfounded. We are informing all Ghanaians that GUTA Greater Accra does not answer to GUTA national but can only collaborate with them on national issues,” GUTA Accra said in a statement.

Greater Accra GUTA executives noted that it runs full-time secretariat for its members.

The statement stated that the structure of GUTA is not like a political party that has regional and district branches under one umbrella.

Greater Accra GUTA further noted that it is dissociating itself from the national GUTA adding that “We believe the national GUTA executives do not have the progress of traders especially Greater Accra Association at heart.

But the rest of the executives say they find the statement “disturbing.”

According to them:

1. National GUTA appointed and assign us the responsibility to steer the affairs of the Greater Accra Regional branch of GUTA, so we believe the national body has the capacity and power to dissolve any Regional branch executive, which Accra is no exception.

2. We were fourteen members appointed executive mandated to take collective decisions but it got to a point, only the trio took decisions and run the region as their personal property.

3. It was National GUTA which granted us permission to register the regional branch at the Registrar General's department.

4. In fact, the above-mentioned trio has exhibited a lot of unethical tendencies.

a. For instance, at which meeting was Mrs. Irene Victoria Odoom (Deputy Welfare Officer) appointed to be a signatory to our account?

b. Who are those behind the organization called Traders Advocacy Group of Ghana (TAGG)? Very alien to GUTA.

5. We wish to state unequivocally that we owe allegiance to the National body because it can appoint and can equally fire in the event of any insubordination by any branch of the Union; and

6. The decision was taken in a meeting with the Council of Elders in consultation with National Executive Council of which the Council of Elders and Regional Executives are part. Therefore, it is absurd for a small section of Greater Accra Executive to torpedo the decision of the highest decision-making body of the Union.

Signed by:

Nana Kwabena Peprah - Vice Chairman

Jeff Kwame Gyasi - Organiser

Captain Ronald Basford - Deputy Organizer

Max Mensah Appiah - 2nd Deputy Organizer

Richard Amamoo - P.R.O.

Hajia Muina Buari - Deputy P.R.O

Richard Owusu Mensah - Executive Member

Simon Aseni Tettey – Welfare Officer

Abraham Yao Fianu – Protocol Officer

---starrfmonline