Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been summoned to appear before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) at Sunyani over the payment of ex-gratia and severance awards to the former staff of the defunct National Mobilization Programme (NMP).
Nana Akufo-Addo is also expected to explain the rational behind the dissolution of the NMP.
His invitation to appear before the commission became necessary when the Brong Ahafo regional and the national co-ordinators of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Nana Atta Fena, and Joseph Odei respectively, told the commission that the decision to dissolve the NMP was purely a Cabinet one.
Earlier, before the appearance of Brigadier Odei before CHRAJ, the regional co-ordinator told the CHRAJ that he could not handle the issue because it was beyond his jurisdiction.
As a result of Nana Fena's statement, CHRAJ invited the national co-ordinator, but he too could not say anything different.
Following the words of Brigadier Odei, the regional director decided to contact his boss, Mr. Emile Short, for further action.
Chronicle sources close to CHRAJ at Sunyani revealed that Mr. Emile Short had directed the regional director to invite Nana Akufo Addo to appear before it to explain why the NMP was dissolved and the delay in payment of the benefits, since he is the principal legal advisor to the Cabinet.
In a letter sighted by Chronicle, dated March 17, 2003 and addressed to the Attorney General, the Chief State Attorney at Sunyani requested the Attorney General to appear before CHRAJ on April 23, this year.
The letter, which was signed by Mr. Mawuli Avutor, an investigator at CHRAJ, on behalf of the director, read as follows: "Re- Payment of Ex-Gratia/Severance Award - Former Staff of NMP", as its headline.
It stated, among other things that: "Following discussions with both the Brong Ahafo regional co-ordinator and national co-ordinator of NADMO on the 18th of February, 2003, bearing on the above subject, it came to light that the matter is beyond their competence since the decision to dissolve the NMP was a Cabinet one
. "Being the principal legal advisor to the government/Cabinet, you are kindly requested to appear before the Commission on Wednesday, April 23,2003 at 11 a.m. prompt to assist us in our investigations".
The letter ended with the following "We are attaching herewith, a copy of the complaint for your perusal and necessary action, please.
Brigadier Odei on February 18, this year, told the commission that the government is still considering how to pay the ex-gratia and severance benefits to the former staff of the NMP. In the meeting, the Co-ordinator who was also a former director of NMP described the two months' benefits as meager.
He continued and told CHRAJ that in December 2001, his outfit applied for a total of ?2.809 billion to be paid to the staff as severance benefits, but the Controller and Accountant General's Department failed to honour his application, because a letter had been received from the cabinet, directing that they should not pay the money. Brigadier Odei also defended Nana Atta Fena that he had informed him about the letter he applied for funds to be paid to the NMP staff.
Nana Atta Fena sometimes informed the NMP staff in BAR that their cheques for their severance benefits were ready in his office, but efforts made to get the cheques by the NMP staff yielded no results, hence their action of petitioning the CHRAJ over the payment of the benefits.
The NPP government dissolved the NMP in December 2001, on the basis that the NMP was an illegal institution.
