On Thursday, January 26,
2016 unionised Staff of the Ghana Post called for the immediate dissolution of
the current management board for misappropriation of funds. Demonstrating at the
forecourt of the Ghana Post head office in Accra, the group held placards and
vowed not to allow the managing director Eric Yao to make entry into the
company.
The
Ghana Post Unionised staff declared a ‘RED FRIDAY’ during their demonstration
on Thursday, January 26 to register their displeasure concerning the management
direction of the current board.
Friday,
January 27, the news crew captured several workers observing the red Friday at
counters, offices and various spots of the facility.
The
union made allegations against the management of the company calling on the
president to dismiss the current board.
RETIREES BENEFITS
The Unionised Staff alleged
that the current management since 2012 has not paid retirement benefits to
retirees.
According to the union, 13
staff members that proceeded on retirement in the year 2012 have not still
received monies due them and out of the number, 4 were reported to have passed
away already.
The union further stated
staff that have retired after the 2012 group are also yet to receive their
monies.
The divisional chairman of Ghana post, Isaac
Bruce-Mensah Phoyon alleged provident fund which is deducted from their
salaries monthly is in arrears of 20 months.
EQUIPMENT PURCHASE
The union alleged the
current management used an undisclosed amount of money to purchase equipment
that would be used to sell ECG prepaid units in their branches.
The executives indicated
management explained that the equipment would help mobilise monies to support
the operations and other demands of the company yet the project never took off.
At a durbar, when the union
inquired from the head of ICT, Godfred Aboagye of the whereabouts of the
equipment, they were told the equipment were being used for some other project
that was in the best interest of the company.
BARCODE PRINTING
Again, the union alleged
the current management took monies (15,000each) to print barcodes on admission
envelopes meant for Ho and Cape Coast Polytechnics to distinguish them from
fake ones.
According to the Union,
envelopes that were sold at Ghana post counters had no such barcodes and
suspect monies had been squandered by the three management staff.
52,000 SERVER MAINTENANCE SCANDAL
Between April and August
2015, Ghana Post through the head of ICT received several invoices from ICT
related companies to upgrade their two blade servers which were not performing
as expected.
Out of 5 companies that
presented their invoices between 24,000 dollars and 30,000 dollars, ‘Premium
SMS’ was given the contract at a reduced price of a little above 14,890 dollars
at the time.
The union, however, rebutted
their member in the ICT department who is an expert alerted them the upgrade
maintenance on the servers were basic (adding a HDD and RAM) yet the monies
involved is outrageous.
The union then concluded the
managing director Eric Yao and the deputy managing director of finance and
administration, Solomon Agyei took advantage of the server maintenance project
to steal company funds.
When tv3 visited the ICT
department to take pictures of the server, a member of the staff there who
spoke to tv3 stated there is no way 52,000 can be used for maintenance on the 2
blade servers.
We went further to engage
the Company solicitor, Agyenim Boateng, to get a reaction but the unionised
staff executives stormed the office of the deputy managing director of finance
and administration with warnings and threats.
MOVEMENT OF OFFICERS
The union executives
stormed the office to warn the company solicitor and deputy managing director
of finance to revert the movement of some managers to other departments.
According to the union the
move was to cover the under dealings of some corrupt management staff and
relegate some competent individuals against managements crude dealings.
Further investigations by
tv3 revealed the auditor of Ghana Post in December 2015 refused to sign a
70,000-dollar cheque that he was ordered by management to release to an entity.
The union however suspects,
management is trying to move managers who are not responding to orders that are
against the interest of the company.
2 VEHICLES PURCHASED WITHOUT PROCUREMENT
The union again alleged a 4
wheel drive and a saloon car were both purchased by the managing Director and
deputy managing director for finance and administration without going through
procurement.
The news team visited the
transport department to ask for purchase documents on the two cars in question.
Unfortunately, officers
operating at the office reported there is no such document in their records.
So we asked the union
chairman to call the head of transport department for documents on the two cars
but he replied the two vehicles did not go through procurement.
They vowed to seize the
vehicles from the management staff until the president intervenes with a
forensic investigation.
2-YEARS ALLOWANCE CLAIM
The
unionised staff of Ghana Post who are calling for the dissolution of the
management has cautioned they would not accept the retainment of the managing
director, ekow yao and his deputy.
They
alleged few months after his appointment as managing director; he asked finance
to pay him his allowances in two years advance which is over 28,000cedis.
According
to the unionised staff the MD illegally demanded his allowance when the time
was not due at a time when the company needed resources to boost its operations
to function effectively.
MANAGEMENT REACTION
According to the deputy
managing director of finance and administration, Solomon Agyei he was not at
post during the transactions, but admitted a 52,000 Ghana Cedis which was an
equivalent of the 14,890 dollars was paid to ‘Premium SMS’.
Supporting with documents,
he explained ‘PREMIUM SMS’ initially presented an invoice with a sum of 24,000
dollars as the maintenance charge.
But after three months and
series of discussions with the company, 10,000 dollars was slashed off the
maintenance charge to 14,890 dollars which is the equivalent of a little over
52,000cedis at the then exchange rate.
On retirees benefit,
The news crew also engaged
the Ghana Post Solicitor, Agyenim Boateng who admitted some retirees have not
received their benefits but that is because the company do not make profits as
it used to.
And even with the retirees
all have been paid expect about three who they are working hard to settle.
He jokingly posed a
question to 3news.com reporter Listowell Acquaye asking; when was the last time
you posted a letter?
He again admitted, the
company purchased equipment to run an ECG prepaid unit in the facility but as
the project did not take off, the equipment were used at another joint.
HEAD OF IT SACKED IMMEDIATELY
On the Friday January 27,
2017, the 3news.com crew visited the Ghana post yard for a follow up.
Interestingly, several workers
were captured in offices, compound and at the counters were clad in red.
The union executives revealed
the appointment of the Head of ICT Department, Godfred Aboagye have been
terminated with immediate effect after their demonstration.
Divisional
Chairman of the Union, Isaac Phoyon again called for an immediate forensic
audit from an independent body to ascertain their claims of corruption against
the management.
According
to the Union executives, Ghana Post Solely depends on operations to sustain the
company.
They
took the news crew through the facility to capture shots of vehicles that had
broken down for years, and motorbikes that were not functional and letter boxes
that had rusted out.
The
alleged the courier and dispatch services are not enough to beat competition
hence cannot support revenue generation initiatives.
For
the unionised staff, Ghana post would bounce back to beat competition only if
president Nana Akufo-Addo dissolves the current management.
