Nine employees of Non-Formal Education Division sue government

Accra, Nov. 2, GNA - Nine employees of the Non-Formal Education Division of the Ministry of Education have filed a writ at the Accra High Court suing the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice against their demotion and transfer.

They are seeking an order of the court to direct the defendant to withdraw the purported transfers and demotion from their positions of Chief Programme Officers to the lower post known as Income Generating Activities. They are further seeking the court's order directed at the defendant not to disturb the plaintiffs in the performance of their duties for which they were employed until they reached their retiring ages under the Civil Service Act.

The plaintiffs are Reginald Kota Ato Appalo, Manfred Opoku, Olivia Seglah, Margaret Gyamfi, Francis Donkor, Samuel Haligah, Wilson Agbenyo, Patrick Dawukpor and Dziedzorm Agudetse.

In a statement of claim, the Plaintiffs said in 2002, they were appointed as Chief Programmes Officers for each of the 12 previous districts of the Volta Region.

However, in September 2009, they all received letters not only transferring them but giving them new positions entitled Income Generating Activities or Logistics Officers, which were lower than the positions they held.

The writ filed on behalf of the plaintiffs by Karaba-Quarshie Law Consult said: "Plaintiffs contend that they have suffered humiliation before their communities and friends and have become objects of ridicule and jokes."