Workers want Songor IMC sacked

…OVER CORRUPTION

The workers of Songor Salt Project (SSP) have called for the dismissal of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) managing the affairs of the Company to save it from maladministration and eventual collapse.

According to the irate workers, if the government does not make prompt moves to dismiss the IMC led by Mr. Joseph William Biney, the Company which used to be the showpiece of Salt production in the country would sooner than later run aground.

Speaking to a horde of journalists at a press conference in Accra on May Day, The workers revealed that since the current IMC was appointed into office about seven years ago, the Company has retrogressed to the point of being phased out in its operations leaving the company’s account in red.

The workers also appealed to the government to repeal the PNDC law 287 and handover the lagoon to its owners to pave way for development.

According to the complaining workers, when Biney and his IMC came into office in 2001 their predecessors who took office in 1992 had left the Company with a spacious warehouse, three bungalows at Tema Communities 18 and 20, and also undertook ¢3 billion (GH¢ 300,000.00) electrification project for some communities around Songor Lagoon.

Again the same management in 1998 bought 20% shares from the former director of the Company Mr. Aleixs P. G. Panagioteupolos when he was leaving the country at the cost of 2.5 billion (GH¢ 250,000), and also acquired many other properties for the Company. The same IMC left behind an amount of ¢2.1 billion and huge deposits of salt for the Company. However when the Biney-led IMC took over in 2001, they decided to purchase cars for themselves and has since run the Compny aground. Given details and comparative analysis of the past administration and the current IMC, the workers said apart from a school block that was built by the current administration for the people of Loloyan at the cost of ¢400 million, not much has been achieved.

The workers noted that when the IMC took office, the local union advised them to dispose off most of the old vehicles and equipment, and buy new ones because of the corrosive nature of the salty environment, since most of the vehicles were over five years and above which make its maintenance unbearable.

However the chairman of the IMC refused to listen to their advice and spent over ¢400 million on two old Tata buses and later sold two buses only last month for a paltry ¢43 million.

The workers revealed that between December 2002 to May 2004, management spent ¢427 million to engage six security dogs and their guards from Delta Security, while engaging Police and the factory security at the same time.

On Tuesday January 16, 2004 a durbar was held at the factory’s warehouse where management told the workers that, they were able to make about ¢48.9 billion.

From 2004 to 2007 the total sales made amounted to ¢67 billion, bringing the total sales to ¢115.9 (GH¢11,590). However, in 2007 when the workers asked about the state of affairs of the Company, the IMC chairman Joe Willie made them believe that their coffers were in the red.

The workers pointed out that the Company was now depending on ¢5 billion being customers deposits for salt purchase for the running of the Company.

The workers accused the IMC of spending ¢57 million to purchase equipment for the building of a clinic that never was.

They also noted that the IMC again wasted over ¢105 million on two trips to Spain and Brazil in October, 2005 to purchase washing plant which never took place.

The workers noted that between 2001 to 2007, the IMC spent ¢46 billion (GH¢46,000) for hiring bulldozers excluding fuel or (Diesel) even though a brand new bulldozer could have been purchased at the cost of ¢2.6 billion.

In May 2005, the IMC chairman informed the union that salt worth ¢1.5 billion and daily shipping books were missing and that the Company could not produce a data, the workers pointed out.

They therefore called for the dissolution of the IMC and also demand the whereabouts of ¢115.9 billion being funds belonging to the Company. -THE SUN