Reinstate Me As Directed By Court - Former Immigration Officer

A former Deputy Director of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr Kodjo Hodari-Okae, has called on the government to respect the law and reinstate him as directed by the duly constituted courts of the land.

He said since the courts directed his reinstatement about two years ago, the government had not taken any action to restore to him his rights. Hodari-Okae disclosed this at a press conference in Accra.

According to him, on September 1, 2002, it was broadcast on radio and television that he had been transferred to the Ghana Free Zone Board (GFZB) via a directive from the President, although no prior information to that effect had been communicated to him.

He said four days later, on September 5, 2002, he received a letter dated September 4, 2002, signed by the then acting Minister of the Interior, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, informing him of his transfer to GFZB.

Hodari-Okae said although his substantive rank was that of Deputy Director and second in command at the Immigration Service, his position was not defined at the GFZB.

“Although my substantive rank was that of Deputy Director, and second in command at the Immigration Service, the broadcast was strangely silent on the position I was to occupy at the GFZB,” Mr Hodari-Okae stated.

He said he reported to the GFZB to resume work, but, to his utter dismay, the Acting Executive Secretary of the GFZB, Mr Andy Appiah Kubi, informed him that his office had not been informed about the transfer.

The former deputy Director added that he showed his transfer letter to the Executive Secretary and he was later given a small office to occupy.

Eventually, he said, he applied for his accrued leave, which was granted on December 27, 2002 He said since then his name had been deleted from the government payroll, meaning for four years now he had not been paid.

He said as if that was not enough, the GIS had stripped him of the official house help who was maintaining the government bungalow he was living in adding that his official vehicle had also been impounded.

Additionally, his utility bills had not been paid till date, payment for his medical bills blocked and he had been subjected to persistent threats of ejection from his bungalow.

He said he made several petitions to the government but since they were not heeded, he took the case to court and the court ruled in his favour.

According to him, the court directed that he be reinstated in the public service.

Additionally, it also directed that he be paid all his salaries, entitlements and allowances that went with his rank at the time of his dismissal.

Mr Hodari-Okae explained that the action of the GIS had subjected his family to great hardship and humiliation.

He said the court did not implicate him in any malfeasance and so he did not deserve to be punished for serving his nation selflessly and with such commitment.