GHANA POST WORKERS AT WAR WITH MANAGEMENT

By Kwadwo Yeboah BREMAN

06 Oct 2009

GHANA POST

The workers of Ghana Postal Company are planning to lay down their tools, if the newly inaugurated Board of Directors chaired by Mr. John Sey hesitate to dismiss Nicholas Dery the acting managing-director and his cronies.

According to the workers, Ken Ofori Attah, former general manager audit/finance, now general manager internal control who it has been alleged he has resign his post and Seth Obeng under whose care the lucrative business known as Instant Money Transfer {IMT} was indefinitely suspended cannot be part of the Board.

The workers alleged that Seth Obeng who was then in charge of IMT used his position to acquire GSM machines from China without following the established rules prescribed by national procurement and logistics board.

The workers wondered why there was no newspaper publication or advertisement for tenders or bidders for the China made machines which had turned out to be of inferior quality.
This, the corporate business analyst described as not only causing financial lost to the Company but also creating the opportunity for some counter operatives to avoid remitting monies received from
clients.
Based on the above allegations, the entire staff of Ghana Post Company Limited are demanding explanation from Nicholas Dery, why the former General Manager Financial Services, Seth Obeng, was not sanctioned for negligence, mismanagement, embezzlement and misapplication of IMT Funds.

Some workers suspect some financial dealings between Seth Obeng and Nicholas Dery, as a result of which Seth Obeng has threatened to expose the acting Managing-Director, Nicholas .N. Dery, if he dares to sanction or query him.
A letter intercepted by this reporter revealed that the head of Financial Services, Elizabeth Acquah, was asked by the management to proceed on leave indefinitely for demanding from management why the financial accounts for 2005, 2006 ,2007 and 2008 of the IMT was not accepted and approved by the Board of the IMT.
“I am puzzled and wonder why such an important management tool has been shelved all these years until now, whatever the reason is, I think we will do Ghana Post justice if these accounts and not just

2007 and 2008 accounts are visited and all the issues of controversy addressed for transparency before the re-launch of this business. This is not a good business practice and I suggest we address this immediately to avoid any negative impressions being formed against management'', she wrote,
At a durbar organized by the Board and Management, on September 24, 2009, this reporter had a chat with a Ghana Post employee in Kumasi who wondered why Seth Obeng continue to enjoy immunity from arrest and prosecution in spite of causing financial lost to the Company.

Meanwhile, information gathered so far shows that, the Greater Accra Regional Management Team in conjunction with the District Managers in Greater Accra have petitioned the Board of Directors and the Management Team about the continue stay of Seth Obeng on the Board.

The Management chaired by Nicholas N. Dery insists that appointment of Seth Obeng was a Board decision and not an imposition as claimed by the Regional Management Team and the District Managers.

Speaking to this reporter on condition of anonymity, the workers said sixty percent of the company's revenue is generated from the Greater Accra Region adding the Region also plays a pivotal role in postal administration both internal and international affairs.

The workers find it extremely difficult to understand why the board and the current management have allowed Seth Obeng to occupy this sensitive position as Greater Accra Regional head/General Manager.

An internal memo has been intercepted from the Kumasi Local Union to the Divisional Secretary, Postal Division of Communication Workers Union of Ghana of TUC Accra, which resolved and requested

(1) That the outcome of the resolution adopted by the Division Executives Council (DEC) meeting on the 13th August, which objected to the appointment of Mr. Seth Obeng as Greater Accra Regional Head be made known.
(2)That, the request made by DEC for the release of the report and the recommendation of the Committee of Enquiry set by the sector Minister, is made known to the union by 30th August, 2009.
They gave reasons why Mr. Seth Obeng should be rejecting by DEC as follows

(1)Mr. Obeng mismanaged our lucrative Instant Money Transfer service leading to its suspension.
(2)That, series of allegation were leveled against Mr. Seth Obeng of which the committee's report has not come out to exonerate him or otherwise.
3) That, it is also refreshing to note that on 22nd December, 2008.DEC made a resolution to the CWU for onward delivery to the sector minister demanding that Mr. Ken Ofori Attah, Mr. Seth Obeng and Mr. Dua Adonten has suffered his exist. DEC is therefore at a lost as to why the other two officials are still at post and being reassigned to other sensitive areas.
The entire staff of the Ashanti Region finds Mr. Oberg's appointment as Regional Head/Greater Accra where our revenue generation capacity is high as tantamount to throwing stones whiles living in a glass house.
It therefore called on management and the board to rescind their decision for the interest of Ghana Post Company Limited. The memo was signed by the Union Secretary, Osei Yeboah and other five executives, namely Alex Amoah, Assistant Secretary; Kwame Owusu, chairman; Samuel Appiah, vice chairman; Genevieve O. Boateng, 2nd vice chairperson; and Pearl Guadi, Trustee; and copied to the Board,Ag Managing Director, CWU, all locals, and Ashanti Region Head.