NRC member calls for fair treatment of all

Ho, Jan 21, GNA- Prof Henrietta Mensa Bonsu, a member of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), on Tuesday expressed reservations about workers' groups issuing resolutions demanding sanctions against management staff even before allegations against them were investigated. She said under such circumstances the prudent thing to do is to allow investigations to be carried out.

Prof Mensa Bonsu made the remark when the NRC, sitting at Ho, was hearing the petition of Mr Francis Ampony, a former Senior Meter Reader of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) stationed at Wa, in the Upper West Region for wrongful removal from office in 1981.

"As we resolve to build a better Ghana let us treat each other fairly. Fairness is something everybody is entitled to." she said.

Mr Ampony, who was a Local Union leader at the time said because of his role in exposing wrongful acts including illegal connections of electricity authorised by the Works Manager he was removed from office. He said the procedure adopted in getting rid of him was wrong and smacked of victimisation.

Mr Ampony, who prayed the Commission to help him claim his pension benefits, had worked for the ECG for 13 years and is now in food and cash crop production.

He as the Local Union Chairman had signed a resolution of no confidence in the Works Manager demanding his removal since the workers could no longer work with him.

Mr Patrick Kwasi Adih, a former Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) stationed at Nkawkaw, said he was prematurely retired from the Police Service by a radio announcement in 1985 and as a result suffered physical and psychological pressures for many years.

He said the charges of misconduct levelled against him were still being investigated when the announcement was made.

Mr Adih said he was 45 years at the time of his retirement and had served the Police Service for 26 years.

He claimed the charges stemmed from wrongful representations made to the authorities by a former District Secretary of Ada, Mr James Ayiku Nartey, over his conduct after a shooting incident at the Songhor Salt Winning grounds in the Ada District in May 1985.

Witness, who was then in charge of the Ada District, said he had been on trek when the incident happened and when he came back could not have gone to the scene of the incident because his duty vehicle was out on special duties in Tema.

He said he thought he could depend on reports from the Police station at Dawa on the incident, which was normal, and stressed that he could not be held liable for dereliction of duty.