GT staff demonstrate in support of Vodafone deal

Accra, Aug. 12, GNA- Both junior and senior staff of Ghana Telecom (GT), in Accra on Tuesday went on a two-hour demonstration amidst drumming and dancing within the premises of the headquarters to register their support for the controversial proposed sale of 70 per cent of the company to Vodafone.

The staff at the headquarters joined their colleagues from other regional capitals, who have been demonstrating since Monday to counter pressure from political parties, pressure groups and individuals criticising the deal and asking parliamentarians not to give the nod. The GT staff have also prepared a petition to be presented to the Speaker of Parliament with copies of a press statement to each of the 230 members of Parliament, calling on them to approve the deal and save GT from collapse.

The stand of the GT staff members is directly in conflict with views expressed in a court action by a group from the Convention People's Party (CPP) against the government and GT against the deal. There was also another demonstration at the entrance of Parliament by members of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) in protest at the sale.

In their press statement signed by William Agyei, Chief Manager and Head of Roaming, the staff members stated that they supported the GT-Vodafone deal because Vodafone happened to have what it took to turn GT around and make it competitive in the telecom industry. "We have studied the full benefits of the Vodafone bid and we are optimistic that the future of GT lies in the ratification of the agreement by the honourable members of Parliament and we wish to call on them to go ahead with the process," he said.

But the views of the workers on the Vodafone deal and the protest from public was better spelt out in the messages on the placards they wielded and the songs they sang during the demonstration. Some of the placards read: "Support GT/Vodafone Deal", "Put Politics Aside and Let's Save GT", "Do not Sacrifice GT for Politics", "GT must be saved", "Save GT Now for Posterity" and "If the sale is not allowed competition will kill GT".

Some of the placards were directed at the CJA and they read - "Who knows best? CJA or GT" and "GT is worth more than CJA".

Meanwhile, a man who attempted to damn the sale and demonstration was driven away by GT demonstrators.

Mr Agyei told journalists that unlike the members of the CJA, they the staff of GT knew exactly what the state of GT was and that their demonstration was a well informed one.

"I can tell you that if this deal fails GT cannot survive for two years- I can't say what the staff members will do but the fact is there will be no GT for anybody to work in if the deal fails," he said. Mr Agyei recounted circumstances that led to the heavy indebtedness of GT and how GT lost most of its corporate clients to competition. He said GT needed a company with the financial muscle of Vodafone to survive the local competition characterized by multinational players. "The government is investing nothing into GT as of now but I can tell you that when Vodafone comes on board even the 30 per cent shares to be held by the state will be worth far more than the current 100 per cent shares in terms of money," he said.