Former House of Chiefs Registrar challenges his dismissal

Accra, Nov. 5, GNA - Mr Samuel Kwadjo Mireku, former Registrar of the National House of Chiefs on Wednesday challenged his dismissal as Registrar of the House in September 1988.

He prayed the National Reconciliation Commission to recommend a publication to clear his name of inserting questionable names in the chieftaincy register, for which he was fired.

He also prayed the Commission to recommend full payment of his salary for the seven years and nine months he was dismissed on the current salary level of Level 14, with interest as recommended by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in May 2001. Mr Mireku, who said he is now a farmer, said the government of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) alleged that he had manipulated the register of the House for his selfish interest, thereby creating confusion in the chieftaincy institutions and thereby fuelling chieftaincy disputes.

Witness described the reason as "funny", and his dismissal as "madness".

He said he petitioned the PNDC Secretariat, the Chieftaincy Secretariat and the National House of Chiefs over his dismissal and that Mr Nathan Quao of the PNDC Secretariat informed him that his petition was not acceptable.

He petitioned a Chieftaincy Review Committee, which later transferred the case to the CHRAJ, which ruled in his favour, but recommended that he should be paid his gratuity, allowance and three-and-half years salary as compensation.

Mr. Mireku said he petitioned the CHRAJ against the three and half years, and that he should be paid the full salary, on the current scale of Level 14, rather that range 78, which he said had ceased to exist at the time the first recommendation was made in 1996.