<<Print>>

The back-room drama at the Brong Ahafo offices of the Ghana water Company Limited has taken a new twist with management facing a classical dilemma over the fate of the embattled Chief Manager of the area who is currently reeling under pressure from angry workers who are agitating for his removal from office on allegations of corruption.

Management has since been tight-lipped on the issue of what decision to take on the Chief manager who together with his finance officer have over the past weeks attracted media attention over allegations of corruption. Although the finance officer has been interdicted over his role in the matter, even before the company’s so called investigation commences, the chief manager has since been walking a freeman and throwing his weight about in the region.

Stanley Martey, Communications Manager, GWCL who was worried about the company’s corporate image being “tarnished” in the media, last Saturday confirmed news about the finance Officer’s interdiction to our editor, explaining that management was compelled to take such a decision because the officer supposedly leaked information to the New Crusading GUIDE.
He however failed to explain why the Chief Manager who happens to be the Spending officer of the Region under whose gavel financial decisions are taken will remain at post when an officer who takes those instructions will still be in office. But it appeared the company was not interested in those facts but rather the trivial one about who leaked information to the media.

A voice recording available to this paper suggests that the beleaguered Chief manager was recently at the company’s Abesim Plant in Sunyani, throwing tantrums at management and workers, further threatening to unleash the BNI on the union if they continue with their red band protest against him.

But the workers have vowed to stand loyally behind their colleagues and move against those pushing for their downfall, threatening that they are ready to launch a full-scale war against management and certain people in GWCL, who they accused of masterminding and scheming against their colleagues and even the current management.

They bemoaned the autocratic manner in which the region is being run, and accused officials of selfish interests, stressing that workers could no longer watch the 'unjust attitude' of the Chief manager and the pain he is inflicting on them, especially those who do not support his cause.

Although the current management of the GWCL is working frantically to turn the fortunes of the company around, workers fear that the leadership approach of the B/A Chief Manager may thwart management’s efforts in the Region.

They said “the bogus and misleading allegations against workers are unnecessary distractions to the workers resolve to fully support management to deliver on its numerous projects scattered in the region and across the country. Management must look carefully at this region.”
According to them the planned attack which is targeted at some senior staff members, management and even some board members was scripted to begin with the circulation of findings of an armchair audit report which was allegedly cooked in the kitchen of the Chief manager.

“Our belief is that all these are being done for selfish interest and to punish innocent workers unjustly”, adding that the union will object to ineptitude in the company and any further attempt to sabotage the efforts of management or inflict unjust punishment on them.

They also accused the Chief Manager of placing the chemist in the Region above civil engineers, and allegedly colluding with his favourites in milking the treasury of the company by embarking on so called “ghost and shoddy projects”.

Interestingly the workers commended the Board headed by Mr. Eric Biliguo Adama and Mr. Frederick Lokko’s management saying “they have helped turn the fortunes of the company around within this short period and that is why the dark spots should be removed”

The company in March embarked on a programme with the objective of transforming GWCL into a profitable public utility.

The re-engineering campaign has also resulted in timely response to bursts and leakages, reliable service, prompt attention to customer complaints and increase in requests for new service connection.

According to a senior staff who spoke to our editor on conditions of anonymity, because of these improvements in service, “customers now pay their bills promptly”.

In spite of these positive results workers in Sunyani think management could do morein the Region by ensuring that justice is done in the matter in question, “Ing Nkrumah is not above the laws of the company and the country, if the company refuses to take the matter up we will petition EOCO and the BNI to take up the matter. We won’t entertain any attempt to shield what is not right.”