Exploitation At KMA

THE KUMASI bureau of The Chronicle is inundated with reports of alleged exploitation, and extortion at the Personnel Department of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).

A greater percentage of employees, who have worked for close to five and eight years, at the various departments, including revenue department, waste management, engineering, administration,and the city guards under the legal department, have no appointment letters.

These category of workers, most of whom were not on the mechanized pay voucher, receive as low as GH¢60 as their monthly salary. They cannot complain for fear of victimization and dismissal.

Out of a total number of 40 city guards, only six have appointment letters, and that most of them were still non-mechanized staff.

Allegations are that one has to pay GH¢200 to get his or her salary mechanized, a practice which has developed into a ridiculous situation, where those who can afford to pay their way through, and have their names mechanized, may not even have appointment letters.

The Chief Personnel Officer, Mr. J. K. Anhwere, and his assistant, one Mr. Samsu, are said to be neck-deep in the extortion of monies from some of the vulnerable workers.

Mr. Anhwere has denied the accusation of extorting monies from unsuspecting workers, and challenged anybody with evidence, to prove the claim or react appropriately.

He, however, admitted the fact that most of the workers had no appointment letters.

According to him, the situation has persisted since 2003, when he assumed office as the personnel manager.

The regularization of appointments of staff, without appointment letters, was embarked upon in 2004 and 2005, and revisited in January 2007.

He said attempts to regularize the situation had not materialized, because, as claimed by Mr. Anhwere, while some labourers have provided their certificates to facilitate the exercise, some of the city guards have ignored the directive, which is repeated at regular intervals over the years.

Some of the affected persons have now resorted to attempts at influencing officers, at the personnel section, with money which he refuses.

After eight years of engagement, the personnel manager is asking the workers, mostly labourers and city guards, to provide certificates and ready themselves for an interview by the end of this month.

In July 2007, all such members of staff without appointment letters were directed to regularize their appointments by August 2007, or have their names deleted from the Assembly's payment voucher, effective September 2007.

The personnel officer has indicated that the non-holders of SSSCE and Middle School Leaving Certificates (MSLC), cannot be issued with letters of appointment, and that those city guards, who are unable to provide their certificates by June for assessment, would have their salaries withheld, or face dismissal.

According to Anhwere, the fate of the employees was even worse, because most of those in this category cannot tell their birth dates, let alone, when they were first engaged by the KMA.

In a related development, members of the assembly, at a meeting of June 4, 2008, approved the collection of property rates in the metropolis, and revenue at the central market, and all satellite markets in Kumasi, by REVSOL Company Limited, on behalf of the KMA at a 42% commission.

The job was previously handled by SKAR Company, at a commission of 30%, but the contract was abrogated by the CEO of the KMA under bizarre circumstances, only to be awarded to REVSOL, which was engaged to pilot the collection of revenue at the Central market.