Court orders fresh notice be served on AG, National Security Coordinator

Accra, Nov. 8, GNA - An Accra Fast Track High Court on Monday ordered that fresh hearing notice be served on the National Security Coordinator and the Attorney-General in connection with a suit by former security personnel demanding end-of-service benefits.

The order was given when the court called the case of 84 former national security personnel under the Kufuor Administration whose appointments were terminated by the new government. At Monday's sitting, the court presided by Mr Justice C.J. Honyoega, a Court of Appeal Judge, noted that there was no proof that the defendants had been served.

"The certificate of service is empty," the court noted. It, therefore, ordered that the defendants - the National Security Co-ordinator and the Attorney-General - be served and adjourned the matter to November 15.

The personnel are seeking a declaration that they are entitled to end-of-service benefits upon the termination of their appointment, which is consistent with the conditions governing their employment as staff of the National Security Secretariat.

The former security operatives are also seeking an order compelling the defendants to pay their benefits.

In their statement of claim, the dismissed personnel contended that they are citizens of the country and were employed as regular staff of the National Security Council.

They averred that although they lost their jobs because of the change of political leadership, President John Evans Atta Mills acknowledged "their dedicated and loyal service to the state". According to them, in partial fulfilment of the conditions governing the termination of their appointment, they were each paid three months' salary in lieu of notice. They, therefore, petitioned for payment of their end-of-service benefits but that was ignored and letters written by their solicitor did not yield any fruit.

The personnel said unless the court intervened, the defendants would not heed their demands.

The National Security Co-ordinator has reportedly contended that the three months' salary paid to them represented the "full amount due the plaintiffs in case of disengagement between the National Security Council and the plaintiffs". The Council has denied that the ex-personnel are entitled to end-of-service benefits as part of their conditions of service.