Registration of Rawlings' Car Results In Dismisal

As is usually the case in Ghana's body politic, various reasons are now being given from all quarters for the forced resignation of Mr. Felix A. Oteng, Principal Technical Officer (PTO) and until recently, Volta Regional head of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), less than 24 hours after the falling of the axe.

His removal was based on the instrumental role he was alleged to have played in the registration, last year of four imported (bullet-proof?) cars belonging to the ex-president, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.

According to a letter dated March 21, this year and signed by Mr. Joe Osei-Owusu, Chief Executive of DVLA, the decision to advise the victim to leave the employ of the authority by March, 31 this year was the fallout from the findings of a Committee of Inquiry set up by the board of directors tasked to hear evidence of breach of procedures in the registration of the said cars.

The letter, with reference number PF/A/9, indicated that it was the recommendation of a disciplinary committee to let Mr. Oteng go. And in accordance with the directive, the 56-year old PTO has, since last Monday, packed bag and baggage out of Ho, the regional capital; ending his 22 years of service to the DVLA.

The story, which hit the newsstands mid last year, had it that a certain Asuboteng, presenting himself as vehicle registration agent, but without authority, power of attorney from the owner, caused the said cars to be registered in the name of J.J. Rawlings.

While the file bore the name of the former president, the photograph and signature were those of Asubonteng. This led to the formation of a three-member committee comprising a board member, the most senior technical officer and another officer to investigate the matter, which involves Oteng and two others.

At the end of it all Oteng was to go while a junior staff involved was suspended. A principal executive officer in charge of registration has however, been exonerated. This led to a few gossips in town over whether true justice had been done in the matter.

When Chronicle contacted him for comment, the victim said, "My brother, it is all politics. I know I haven't done anything wrong. There had all along been a plot to remove me but I leave everything to God". He said he would not go to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), as is being suggested to him by friends, because he does not think he would get justice there.

According to Mr. Oteng, who was laughing all through the interview and was surrounded by some of his 13 daughters, "no one can successfully fight against the government of the day."

But for his side of the story, the chief executive, Mr. Osei-Owusu, said apart from the unfortunate incident, which was irregular, unlawful and very embarrassing to the former president, Mr. Oteng had involved himself in several other similar acts that warranted summary dismissal.

He said as late as December last year, Mr. Oteng, from his office in Accra, was registering several tractors belonging to Mechanical Lloyd, which were parked in the company's yard. He asked, "as a principal technical officer, how can you register tractors without seeing them with your eyes?"

The chief executive denied any politics in the matter and hinted further that even after querying him a number of times, the victim fell foul of the law. "We are even lenient with him and that is why we are allowing him to go home with his full entitlements."