Augustine Karbo
The General Secretary of Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of TUC has appealed to members to renew his mandate to continue to serve the union as the General Secretary of the despite the frivolous and unsubstantiated allegations peddled by some divisive group of people of the Union who sort to illegally ousts him from office without the least basis.
Speaking in an interview about the misrepresentations against him, Mr. Karbo said he sort to retain power because Members of the Union deserves to be provided better conditions of service in order to help secure their future when they are on retirement.
Mr.A.S Karbo indicated that his interest over the years as part of the leadership of the union is to help improve the plight and conditions of members and not to engage in anything that has the tendency to undermine the image of the TEWU and to also among other things help propel the Union to higher pedestal in a competitive labour market.
PROFILE OF A.S KARBO
According to him, his interest in the labour front was dated back since 1995 when he was a student leader when he joined the Workers’ Union-TEWU. He was an employee in University of Ghana at the Botany Department. He said through hard work, dedication and tenacity, he was initially nominated to represent the Department at the Central Executive Committee in 2003.
he emphasised "Due to my outstanding leadership, I received massive support among the rank and file of the members. Though contested for positions from the Local level to be an Assistant Secretary, I finally won as the Local Union Chairman at the University of Ghana.
According to him, his recognition at the national level needs no further emphasis. He had the opportunity to work with great personalities such as Brother Raphael Apaaya and Brother M. Seidu Bogobiri (both of blessed memory) especially when both of them spent time on the single spine salary structure with Mr. Karbo.
The commitment and passion for his job earned him a reputation for which the late General Secretary (Brother Raphael Apaaya) nominated him as his ‘right hand man’ to contest for the position of Deputy General Secretary. Mr. Karbo emerged victorious among five other contestants in 2013 elections, and subsequently succeeded the late brother Apaaya as the General Secretary after his unfortunate demise.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The Achievements of Brother Karbo is like the light on top of a hill which cannot be hidden. "For instance, my creativity brought innovations into TEWU as a vibrant leader.
Firstly, the transportation support project was very successful through the introduction of high purchase system such as Motor bikes to members of the Union among other things.
Secondly, all regional offices were refurbished and given a face lift, revamped and retooled with modern ICT equipments including scanners, printers etc to help speed up administrative and clerical duties in the various regional secretariat. also, there had been massive expansion of High Purchase of items initiated at the local Union level to the National level albeit the supply of both consumables and non-consumables to its members.
Among the many supply includes building materials, Lab-Tops, Flat Screen Televisions etc. I am convinced that by such initiatives, members would be comfortable. The visibility of the union at the local, National and international scene successfully brought into being a five year strategic plan which started in 2017.
Again, during my tenure of office, a massive edifice called the TEWU House was completed and put into good use which is already generating revenue for the union as a plus".
The General secretary said he intends to protect all lands that are being acquired by the union and would quickly develop them into Hostel facilities, office complexes for rent to the public as additional avenue for generating revenue for the Union.
The General Secretary further said that every penny contributed by members should be accounted for the prudent management of the Union; he said he would remain consistent and resolute in his fight against corruption and the wanton dissipation of the resources of the union, especially the Union funds which has become a worry since some members in the union sort it a gold digging opportunity out of the sweat of contributors.
According to Karbo when he retains power, a forensic Audit would be carried out into the finances of the union and anybody who is found to have embezzled from the Union either in the past or currently shall be dealt with according to law. Mr. Karbo said he had already taken steps, and that plans are far advance to establish a welfare services in the union to give support to members and their family as well as their children to solve peculiar challenges.
Mr. A.S Karbo who has a well established experience in trade unionism over the past decade or more also indicated his determination to strengthen TEWU and to affiliate it with international organisation at both bilateral and multilateral level to add to such existing relationship already established such as the Education International and Public Services International.
Lamenting over the current defection of TEWU members to other unions in the country due to the seeming conflict created by some leadership in the Union, especially with the wanton dissipation of the Union funds which is becoming a public knowledge, he said when he retains power he would do everything possible to increase the numbers and open avenues to expand the membership, and also increase the value representation at the Trade Union Congress (TUC), locally and internationally under his watch.
"I understand the twist by some of those leaders who want to over look all the good things I have done, and intends to do, but rather peddle shameless lies against me without basis and substance. ‘I therefore appeal to members to rally behind me for forward ever, backward never’. he added.
