ECG workers being used to malign MD – Staff

Some workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have jumped to the defence of the Managing Director, Kwame Agyeman-Budu after a faction of their colleagues called for his dismissal.

The aggrieved workers argued that their boss has failed to live up to expectation since he assumed office for about two years now, describing him as “visionless”.

However, a faction of the workers who prefer to remain anonymous fearing victimization, said their colleagues are only being “manipulated by unseen hands to disgrace the MD for no reason.”

According to them, but for Agyeman-Budu a lot of Ghanaians would have slept in darkness amidst the hardship brought on them by the COVID-19 pandemic because most of the workers mounted pressure on him to embark on mass disconnection to mobilise funds last year June.

“The union recognizing the Company’s challenging financial situation, since June 2020 has petitioned the Managing Director severally to involve its rank and file in revenue mobilization. This noble gesture on the part of the Union which aims at improving the company’s Cash flow surprisingly had been turned down by the Managing Director at every opportunity until 1st April 2021. It is worthy to note that this delay may have a dire financial consequence on the Company as debt accumulated may become be difficult to recover or be lost entirely,” the junior and senior staff union said in a resolution.

However, reacting to the resolution, the pro-Agyeman-Budu faction said: “What do they mean when they said the MD did not allow them to conduct mass disconnection since June 2020 when COVID was at its peak and there was a partial and total lockdown and families and Ghanaians, in general, were in the dire financial situation? It’s a senseless proposition. The MD showed a human face and that was what he needed to do.”

“The MD has done many good things which we have to talk about. If nothing at all, he has been able to hold up the company during the difficult financial times in the COVID pandemic when our finances were very bad. There was never a month that we didn’t get paid or our payment delayed. Go and ask how he scrutinises contracts to get value for me. There’s been some completed and critical ongoing projects under his leadership some of which include the Kasoa and Pokuase substations among others. He is very affable and hardworking and embraces everyone. We love him, if the few executives of the Union don’t that is their cup of tea.”

They added: “The move by the Union is very uncalled for. They are just being manipulated to disgrace the MD for no reason. Their concerns are laughable. How can you accuse the MD of wrongdoing for building a canteen for staff and not himself; arguing that it was not a needed project.

“On the matter of outsourcing our STL collection as advance payment of the bill, it is only a proposal that has been put forward by a company just like any other proposal brought to ECG from companies. The board hasn’t even sat on it yet. How then can anybody accuse the MD of promoting something which is a mere proposal.”

Some aggrieved workers of ECG are calling for the dismissal of Agyeman-Budu by 23 April.

A statement issued by the workers said the continuous stay of Agyeman-Budu in office will lead to the collapse of the company.

The statement added “considering the aforementioned, the joint NEC recognizes that the continuous stay in office of the Managing Director in the person of Mr. Kwame Agyeman-Budu is gradually leading to the collapse of the Company. Accordingly, the joint NEC resolves the immediate removal of the Managing Director from office.”

The workers say they will advise themselves if the government fails to sack Agyeman-Budu by 23 April.

“Please take note that if by the close of work on Friday, April 23rd, 2021, there is no appropriate action, we shall advise ourselves.”