Calm down – Jinapor to ECG workers

Deputy Minister of Power, John Jinapor, has called on demonstrating workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana to exercise restraint over their demand for the removal of the Managing Director of the state power distributor from office.

Scores of workers of ECG picketed the company’s head office on Monday, 3 October, destroying company property in the process.

The workers are demanding the removal of the Managing Director, Robert Dwamena, indicating that his retirement was due.

Some of the protestors ended up breaking a glass door during the demonstration.

Mr Jinapor has expressed shock at the incident explaining that no formal complaints had been made by the workers prior to their action.

He said the protest was news to him as he was hearing about it for the first time on radio. “I am surprised that the staff are up in arms against the Managing Director without stating the specific reasons for demanding his removal,” he said.

Nonetheless he called on the disgruntled staff to use “laid down procedures and proper channels of communication to seek redress”.

He entreated them to exercise patience, indicating that the demands of the workers were “premature”.

On the concession arrangement involving the handing over of the management of ECG to a private entity, Mr Jinapor said the processes had not been completed and suggestions were still welcome. “Let us discuss and resolve all outstanding issues,” he stressed in a phone interview with Accra-based Joy FM on Monday October 3.