Chief calls for restoration of ESB… In the face of “exploitative” ex-gratia awards

NANA NANABANYIN Ninsin-Imbeah II, Nyifahene of the Mfantseman Council in the Ashanti Region and Mfantsehen of Anloga/Oforikrom in Kumasi, has called on the leadership and entire membership of the labour front, to stand up and fight for the restoration of the End-of-Service Benefits (ESB), which was frozen under the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) regime, without further delay.

The Chief, who made the call through The Chronicle, as well called on senior and junior staff workers in the country, to prevail upon their leaders to lead the crusade for the restoration of the ESB.

Nana Ninsin-Imbeah, the once vibrant secretary of the Kumasi Metropolitan Central Committee of the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR), made the call against the backdrop of the award of huge ex-gratia benefits to the former President and his Vice, Mr. Kufuor and Alhaji Aliu Mahama, as well as other members of the Executive and Legislature.

He described the package as exploitative, against the fact that Ghana is classified as a poor nation. A co-ordinator of the KUME PREKO march in Kumasi in 1995, the Chief contended that should the package be allowed for the enjoyment of the beneficiaries, without any review, as suggested by President Mills, then it would not be out of place for workers to agitate for the restoration of workers End-of-Service Benefits, which was frozen, to enable all workers who have retired since the last two terms of President Kufuor to enjoy same.

Expressing the utmost disgust for the controversial ex-gratia awards, Nana Ninsin-Imbeah II indicated that it would be wrong for workers to sit aloof, while people they elected to represent them in government to fight for their interests exploit them in the name of ex-gratia awards.

“It is not fair that our representatives should take such huge and very alarming benefits for serving in capacities they themselves opted for,” he said.

Nana Ninsin-Imbeah II, who is also the Regional Surveyor of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), said as much as Ghanaians had the duty to respect leaders, it would be wrong to sheepishly look on for the same leaders (executives and legislators) to milk us dry, while the people, who produce the wealth, lead miserable lives on retirement.

He called on members of both the ruling party and the opposition, who intend to hold President Mills to ransom for his efforts to review the package, to tread cautiously otherwise their intended actions might spark off a major unrest in the country.

According to him, what was contained in the Greenstreet Report was reviewed before approval, and that it would not be wrong for President Mills or anybody, so alarmed by its crippling horror, to call for its review before approval.