PURC lockout 'criminal, unruly'; Jantuah already out – Board

The Governing Board of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has described as criminal and unruly, a demonstration by staff of the commission that led them to lock out management and other staff over suspicions that the board was conspiring to reinstate the former Director of Public Relations and External Affairs Nana Yaa Jantuah.

In a statement, the board said it deemed it “very regrettable the unruly”, activities of the union, “coupled with the unsubstantiated, unproven and potentially libelous pronouncements orchestrated by the union of PURC led by its chairman Alhaji Abubakari Jabaru.”

The board condemned the lockout on Thursday 7 September 2017 saying it was “for no verifiable and substantive reason except to protest the purported return to office of the Director of Public Relations and External Affairs, Nana Yaa Akyempem Jantuah.”

“What was their justification for embarking on the needless and destructive action on Thursday which denied hard-working citizens regulatory services and for which these workers are receiving salaries regularly?

“According to Alhaji Jabaru, the director of public relations and external affairs was observed at the headquarters and was alleged to have attended a meeting at which she reportedly lobbied to be reinstated.

“For purposes of background, it is necessary to recall that in May 2017, the director of public relations and external affairs who has worked in the public service for a period of 26 years, tendered her resignation to take effect from November 15, 2017, while taking the opportunity to enjoy her accumulated leave.

“She has been on leave since May 2017. In July 2017, in anticipation of the impending departure of the director of public relations and external affairs, a new manager was recruited. This gentleman assumed duty on September 4, 2017.

“As part of the handing over/taking over processes, a meeting was called with the new manager of public relations and external affairs and the outgoing director of public relations and external affairs in attendance, to discuss administrative processes that will ensure a smooth handover of duties and responsibilities from the outgoing director to the incoming manager.

“A key concern of the commission was that upcoming ECOWAS regional electricity regulatory conference which Ghana will host in November and coordinated by PURC barely two months away.

“This conference could impact negatively on Ghana’s reputation if shoddily planned and poorly executed. Is this meeting reason enough for the unlawful and potentially criminal action which disrupted work at a critical public service organisation?” the commission wondered.

The board said the public, particularly the media must find answers to the following questions from Alhaji Jabaru and his followers:

1.Is an employee who has tendered in her resignation to be effective on November 15, 2017, and currently on leave debarred from visiting her place of work?

2.Until November 15, 2017, is the Director of Public Relations and External Affairs not a bona fide staff of PURC?

3.Is the union the employer of the Director of Public Relations and External Affairs?

4.If a new Manager Public Relations and External Affairs has been engaged is it not prudent and conventional administrative practice to arrange a meeting between outgoing and incoming employees to facilitate a smooth and seamless handover and takeover?

5. Where should these meetings of outgoing and incoming managers take place?

6. Should the meeting beheld outside the offices of the PURC?

7. Should PURC not make efforts to aggregate all the institutional memory and experience that the outgoing Director of Public Relations and External Affairs has before she exits?

8. Must we throw the baby out with the bath water?