VRA workers call for removal of Wereko-Brobbey - Witness

Accra, Feb. 25, GNA - Mr Joseph Nii Torgbor Annan, a Human Resource Officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA) on Monday admitted in court that both the senior staff and workers had insisted on the removal of Dr. Wereko-Brobbey because of the industrial agitation. He said because of the turmoil at the time, the plaintiff was asked to resign in order to prevent the industrial chaos that his stay would have led to.

Mr Annan, who represented the Chief Executive of the VRA made the statement when he continued with his defence in a case in which Dr Charles Wereko-Brobbey, former CEO of VRA has filed a suit at an Accra Fast Truck High Court demanding payment of 2.2 billion cedis being his entitlement from the VRA.

Mr Annan said by the VRA rules, the President did not appoint Chief Executives for the VRA; he only nominates somebody and is either approved or rejected by Board members.

He said by the terms and conditions of the Authority the plaintiff should have addressed his resignation letter to the VRA and not the President.

He said technically speaking, the VRA had not received any letter from the plaintiff concerning his resignation and the Authority considered his absence from his office as vacating his post. Mr Annan also explained to the court that the Board of VRA did not regard the absence of Mr Jabesh Amissah Arthur, former Deputy CEO of VRA as vacation of his post because his resignation was commuted to redundancy.

He insisted that by the rules of the Authority, the plaintiff was supposed to pay the VRA nine months arrears for overstaying in his official residence.

The facts are that, Dr Wereko-Brobbey got separated from the VRA on September 17, 2003 but it took the VRA considerable time, amid demands from him before the VRA eventually wrote to him on April 1, 2004 to formally notify him of his separation entitlement.

The suit included a cash equivalent of 43 days earned leave up to the time of the resignation totalling 61 million cedis, six months salary in the sum of 187 million cedis, and a gratuity of five years salary of 1.8 billion cedis as well as cedis equivalent of fuel allocation from March 31 2004.

The application also called for the transfer of ownership of the saloon car, which was in his possession. Dr Wereko-Brobbey was appointed CEO of the VRA on August 24, 2001. He officially assumed office in September that year but resigned on September 17, 2003.