Either KIA MD is removed or risk collapse of airport – Fuming workers caution

Workers of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) are calling for the removal the Managing Director of the Kotoka International Airport, Yaw Kwakwa, else risk the Airport collapsing.

The workers, who threatened a strike yesterday, are accusing the KIA MD of mismanagement and for not promoting the staff welfare.

The outrage of the workers led to the disruption of all departures at the Kotoko International Airport (KIA) on Friday morning following the indefinite withdrawal of services of all general staff at the airport on the orders of the Divisional Union of the Public Services Workers Union at the Ghana Airport Company Limited, reports citinewsroom.com.

There were allegations that the Board of the Company was shelving a report which confirms allegations of mismanagement and abuse of office levelled against the MD.

This led to the withdrawal of services which began with the mandatory screening services, flight display and announcements.

Speaking to Citi News, Deputy General Secretary of the Public Services Workers’ Union (PSWU) at the Airport, John Sampah, said the unhappy workers were demanded an immediate removal of the Yaw Kwakwa in the interest of the company's survival.

“They believe that the Managing Director is not managing the company very well. They also believe that there are key operations that have been outsourced at exorbitant costs that should not be the case. They believe the Managing Director is sitting on staff welfare issue, viz-a-viz promotions and other things.

“If the situation is not checked, then the GACL will be run down. Their point is that until the Managing Director is removed from the company, the company will be brought down.”

According to the report, the aggrieved workers say the future of the company is being for the MD.

“Our expectation is that the Managing Director must be removed. If we allow this man to continue sitting in office, the fortunes of this company can only dwindle and the staff will not be ready for that. If he is not removed we are not backing down. We will continue increasing our levels of withdrawal of service until we get what we want,” Divisional Chairman of the PSWU at the Airport Company Limited Abdul-Issaka Bamba had earlier stressed.

Earlier, the union had agitated over the same issue, petitioning President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo where they stated that Kwakwa had demonstrated “gross incompetence, insensitivity and lack of understanding of the critical aviation industry and therefore his continuous stay in office will further derail the progress of the company”.

The workers of the GACL say that the MD is deliberately refusing to implement several reports lying on his desk for over two years and outsourcing key aspects of the company’s operations at exorbitant costs despite the availability of in-house capacity.

So far, no response has come from the management on the claims and the matter.