Energy Commission Workers Lash At Boss

Senior Staff of the Energy Commission have accused their boss, Kofi Asante, of not exhibiting prudent managerial skills whiles he was in charge at the commission.

They cite instances of victimization, discrimination in promotions, and his bossy attitude as demoralizing for staff.

Their allegations are contained in a hundred-page dossier. Key amongst the allegations is that the executive secretary draws ? 20 million more as rent allowance every month instead of ten million.

Mr. Asante concedes he receives rent allowance of ? 30 million of which ? 3 million is paid in taxes, but he says that is on a quarterly basis.

However, the workers dispute that assertion.

When asked of what evidence the workers have to back their allegations against their boss, Kwabena Otoo Dankwah, chairman of the Workers Welfare Association says ? The concern is that he has an approval to take ? 10million and on his own accord he is taking ? 20 million extra and the public should judge?,

Another concern raised by Mr. Dankwah is the executive secretary?s actions and omission that allowed monies meant for the development of codes and standards for renewable energy at the commission to go back to chest.

?We were given about $150,000 to develop the codes and standards for renewable energy and five companies bided and a Ghanaian company won. The chief executive decided that because his favourite company did not win the tender, there should be a peer review and when he was sending the report for the review, he decided to leave out the company that came first,? he says.

Quizzed whether owners of the companies had any relationship with the executive secretary, Mr Dankwa says ? Well I can?t tell but all what we are saying is that because of his actions and omission, the contract was not given to the Ghanaian company that won the bid and the money went back to the world bank?.

Mr Dankwah says the commission has no management team and therefore every decision is solely taken by the executive secretary.

? There is favouritism, employment at the commission is not properly done, and there is no procurement committee that awards contracts, he awards the contracts himself,? he says.

Mr Dankwah says the association?s complaints about these grievances to the board last December have yielded no results.

? We want the allegations to be investigated and we are grateful that he has set that action in motion,? he says.

Mr. Asante has been asked to proceed on leave by energy minister, Prof. Mike Oquaye pending investigations into his stewardship at the commission.