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Worker unions not troublemakers – JUSAG to employers

Employers and management of private and public institutions have been urged to respect and support worker unions instead of seeing them as trouble markers, according to the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG).

According to the association, a strong workers union in any organisation is rather a complement and when supported constitutes a strong support base for productivity and growth.

Alex Nartey, the president of JUSAG who made this call at the opening of the 1st Quadrenniel Delegates Conference ongoing in Ho said, “Unions should not be seen as trouble makers.”

“It must be announced here today (Tuesday, August 2) for the attention of all employers both private and public that a strong workers union in any organisation or work environment is rather a complement which when supported Constitute a strong support base for productivity and growth.

“Unions should not be seen as trouble makers,” but “We only demand reason, fair-play and recognition of our rights and contributions, a benefit that no employer must struggle for.”

He added that, “Employers must know that workers are always ready to be fair in our demands and give respect to whoever respect is due.”

“Demand for respect at the work place must be balanced, bearing in mind that, employees are also deserving of dignity,” Mr. Nartey noted.

HR, Judicial Secretary office questioned

The JUSAG president whose two terms is coming to an end accused the Human Resource (HR) and the office of the Judicial Secretary (JS) for what he described as “poor handling of staff promotions.”

“We would like to appeal to government and management to always handle issues that affect our conditions and welfare with the needed urgency.

“One of the concerns among the staff presently is the poor way a section of management (HR and JS) has handled promotion in spite of how clear our condition of service is,” he bemoaned.

According to him, “staff do not retire on our salaries, we retire on our ranks or grades. Promotion must be seen as the life of the staff.”

Caution to politicians

Mr Nartey also called for the Judiciary to he criticised constructively but not being run down by politicians, adding that, any attack on the Judiciary is an attack on the nation.

“The role of JUSAG is not only to seek the welfare of our members. One of our key functions is to protect the Judiciary and support same to discharge on its mandate. This means that any action or conduct by any individual or institution that seeks to undermine the Judiciary must be resisted by JUSAG on behalf of Ghanaians.

“It is for this reason that, we take this opportunity to caution and advise the section of politicians who have taken to running down the Judiciary to desist from that. The Judiciary is not immune to criticism but it must not be politicized”.

He explained that, “The constitution prescribes the means by which erring Judicial officers must be sanctioned.

“Politicians must know these methods and avoid running down such an important arm of government without which we cannot govern ourselves”.

JUSAG €55M Multi-purpose Hostels

While bringing his two-terms of seven years to an end, he said, leadership is about ensuring the wellbeing of the people and wealth creation for sustainable growth and development.

“I am happy that at the end of my tenure, no member of our association who is sincere can look in our faces to say that we have failed to achieve this among the numerous interventions we have instituted to support the welfare of our members, we have unprecedentedly secured over 55 million Euros to commence the construction of JUSAG Multi-purpose Hostels at Abokobi in Accra.

The project he said has been handed over to the contractor Greencity Housing and their partners to execute.

Source: Starrfm.com.gh

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Ex-GIIF CEO and Prof. Ameyaw-Ekumfi charged over $2m Sky Train fiasco

The Attorney General’s Office has formally charged former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) CEO Solomon Asamoah and ex-board chairman Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi for their roles in the controversial Accra Sky Train project, which allegedly cost the state $2 million without authorisation.

The charges, filed today at the High Court (Criminal Division), include wilfully causing financial loss to the state under the Criminal Offences Act, conspiracy to commit crime through intentional dissipation of public funds, and intentional dissipation of public funds under the Public Property Protection Decree.

Prosecutors allege that in February 2019, the accused authorised a $2 million payment from GIIF to Africa Investor Holdings Limited for preliminary work on the Sky Train project – a system that was never built. The payment was reportedly made without proper board approval.

The Sky Train project, initiated in 2018 as a public-private partnership for an urban rail system in Accra, involved a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Railways Development, Africa Investor Holdings, and GIIF. However, investigations revealed the $2 million disbursement lacked proper due diligence and violated GIIF’s governance protocols.

Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine stated the accused acted outside their mandate, causing significant financial harm to the state. “The payment was unauthorised, and the project never materialised. This is a clear case of financial misconduct,” the filing stated.

The case will proceed in the High Court, with the AG’s office indicating some GIIF board members have agreed to testify as prosecution witnesses.

This prosecution forms part of the government’s broader crackdown on financial malfeasance, following earlier warnings of pending charges in the Sky Train and NSS ghost names scandals.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

News

Interdict Sammy Gyamfi immediately to allow for investigations – NPP urges Mahama

The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has called on President John Mahama to immediately interdict Mr Sammy Gyamfi from his role as acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), to allow for investigations into his conduct following his public gifting of dollars to a self-lifestyle preacher.

The incident in question occurred on Saturday, May 10, 2025, when Mr Gyamfi was seen in widely circulated videos gifting bundles of US dollars to controversial evangelist Nana Agradaa while seated in his Range Rover.

Speaking at a news conference held by the party on Tuesday, May 13, Mr Boakye emphasised the need for consistency in leadership and accountability, pointing to recent controversies involving senior public officials.

“We also call on the President to immediately interdict Mr Sammy Gyamfi as acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board — or at least, he should interdict him pending the conduct of the investigation by the criminal investigation authorities of the state,” Boakye said.

Drawing a sharp comparison with a previous incident involving former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah, Boakye noted that Madam Dapaah was compelled to resign after reports emerged of large sums of money allegedly stolen from her residence, despite her long-standing public service and reputable family background.

“We cannot but remember when huge sums of money were reported to have been stolen from the residence of Madam Cecilia Dapaah, a woman who had worked in high places for over forty years before the incident — an MP since 2001, a deputy minister and a minister — married to a well-known, wealthy architect and consultant with nearly sixty years’ experience,” he remarked.

Boakye highlighted that under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Madam Dapaah stepped aside promptly, enabling thorough investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

“Investigations were duly conducted by the OSP against Madam Cecilia Dapaah and her husband after what the OSP described as seven months of extensive investigation and four months of collaborative inquiry,” he added.

The NPP is now demanding similar action from President Mahama in the interest of transparency, good governance, and public trust.

Source: Myjoyonline.com