Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Upper East Region Abdallah Jonathan Salifu has questioned the rejection of his appointment as Corporate Communications Manager of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) by staff of the subsidiary and its mother company, the Volta River Authority (VRA).
While urging calm among the rank and file of the NDC, who, he said, are outraged by the opposition against his appointment, Abdallah dismissed as unfounded the VRA/NEDCo workers’ claim that his employment is irregular and illegal.
Leadership of staff groups of VRA/NEDCo denounced Abdallah’s appointment to the position as illegal and an affront to the company’s recruitment policies, demanding its withdrawal.
Apart from members of the governing board and head of the institution, which are appointed by the Presidency and the sector ministry, all other vacancies within the company are filled through competitive processes, they said in a statement.
While arguing that there is currently no such vacancy to be filled, they insisted that the said appointment would still be a disregard to laid down procedure even if there were a vacancy.
But Abdallah Johnathan took on the staff groups, arguing that there is no grounds to suggest that his appointment is not in line with laid down procedure.
“Is government saying that they are sacking anybody? Are they sacking anybody to give their personal salary to me?
Why are people trying to make it look like those state companies belong to them and their families, and nobody else can come in”.
“If there are processes, nothing has started yet and people are complaining of processes. Why?”
He also challenged the assertion that such managerial position is not filled through political appointment, stating that there are similar appointments by the current government to other state-owned companies.
