[ 2017-03-01 ]

PURC workers union calls for dissolution of ‘dysfunctional board’
The Workers Union of the Public Utility Regulatory
Commission (PURC) has petitioned Chief of Staff
Frema Osei-Opare over some “critical” issues
at the Commission.

The Union in a three-page petition detailing the
ills at the Commission is urging an immediate
dissolution of the current "dysfunctional" Board
headed by Dr Emmanuel Annan.

Union Chairman, Abukari Jabaru who signed the
petition told Raymond Acquah on Joy FM’s Top
Story programme Wednesday that failure of
government to address their issues might reduce
further the moral of workers.

"We might not want to prosecute our matters on the
airwaves, but we want the Chief of Staff who is
in-charge of our day to day activities to take up
the issues," he said.

The utility regulator has been in the news
following Joy News Kwetey Nartey's investigation
in which over GHC400,000 was transferred into the
account of PURC Executive Director, Samuel Sarpong
by the Head of Finance.

The monies were collected in 2013 and 2015 from
utility companies which according to the PURC
documents intercepted was to fund nationwide
public meetings on controversial reviews of
utility tariffs. A senior staff of the Electricity
Company of Ghana (ECG) told Joy News part of the
money was paid in cash to the PURC.

It was also revealed that a software the
Commission procured at the cost of GHC200,000 does
not work. A PURC staff who pleaded to anonymity
said the software given to them was a demo.

The Union claimed staff members who disagreed with
activities of Mr Sarpong and PURC Director of
Public Relations Nana Yaa Jantuah are either
transferred or victimised in their line of work.

A portion of the petition reads:

"The Executive Secretary (Mr. Samuel Kwadwo
Sarpong) and the Director, Public Relations and
External Affairs (Nana Yaa Jantuah) have
constituted themselves into the full management
and have taken decisions affecting staff welfare
which have included the following:

a) Intimidation and verbal abuse of staff without
cause

b) Victimization using transfers into departments
which have rendered certain key officers of the
Commission redundant

c) Interdiction of a Senior Officer of the
Commission based on trumped-up charges and
accusations

d) Total disregard for administrative procedures
and systems such as Public Procurement Act,
Financial Administration Act, ARIC and Audit
recommendations, staff appraisals etc.

The workers also claimed more of the workers at
the Technical Directorates have been transferred
affecting the operations of the Commission
especially when it has several projects it is
working on such as Pro-poor Water Projects and
Solar Installation Projects.

Although Mr Sarpong and Madam Jantuah have
dismissed the claims, the workers want the PURC
board to be dissolved by the government for
investigations to be opened into the issues.

Mr Jabaru said the activities of the PURC
Executive Secretary and Director of Public
Relations require swift action from the Chief of
Staff.

"We are talking about disregard for financial
Regulation Act, and administrative procedure and
transfer of internal auditor which are very
serious issues," he said.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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