GCB workers drag bank to Court over dismissals

A memo from GCB Bank, indicates that some staff of the state-owned bank, have secured a court injunction on attempts to sack them, because they did not obtain credits in English and Mathematics in their WASSCE, prior to their employment.

The memo, dated May 13, 2019, and titled “Report of Pre-tertiary Certificates of 2017 Clerical New Hires” was from the Human Resource Department of the bank to the Deputy Managing Director, Operations.

According to the memo, out of 434 employed in the 2016/2017 season, only 277, had credits in both English and Mathematics, but 141, did not make a credit in either or both subjects, while five (5) failed to submit any WASSCE certificates and 10 submitted only Mature Entrance Exams Results.

So those up for the sack include; the 141, who do not have credits in either Mathematics and English or both, the five who failed to submit their WASSCE results and those with Mature Entrance results.

“Per the proposed roadmap, the appointments of those who do not possess the minimum of a credit in English and Mathematics ought to be terminated,” the memo said.

But in the recommendation section, the memo noted that two of the affected workers have secured an injunction on the bank stopping them from demanding their WASSCE results, and from continuing the termination process.

In the memo, the HR Department, therefore, recommended a temporal hold on the move to sack those workers until the court case is determined.

The HR Department, said in the meantime, they are putting measures in place to do minimal recruitment to ensure that in the event of the terminations, branch operations would not be affected.

Adom News, reached out to the bank’s Corporate Communications Department, but they declined to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, Labour Expert, Yiadom Boakye told Adom News, if the affected workers were required to submit their WASSCE results at the time of their appointment and they failed to, or lied about it, then the bank is within its rights to take them on now.

“But if those results were not required from them and the bank is only doing that now in spite of the fact that they have been working for the bank all this while without any issues, then it is totally unethical for the bank to sack them based on WASSCE results,” he said.

Meanwhile, some workers of GCB-Bank, are appalled and disappointed in the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Board of Directors of the bank led by Jude Kofi Arthur for deliberately shirking the responsibilities after the Deputy Managing Director of the bank, was caught with as much as three dates of birth; a clear case of dishonesty.

A charge of age-cheating, has been leveled against Mr Samuel Amankwah for a while now, but the two bodies, especially the regulator- BOG – have been playing deaf and dumb in the face of glaring evidences that the deputy MD’s date of birth in a his biometric Ghanaian passport, is different from his Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) records.

The current workers, are not alone, hoping for the bank’s integrity to be preserved by the board, as well as BoG, their former colleagues, who were relieved of their job under some bizarre circumstances, allegedly schemed by Mr Amankwah, are equally upset about the animal farm situation.

Per the laws of Ghana, public servant after attaining the age of 60, proceeds on pension, but in the case of the deputy MD, documents available to The Herald, including his passports and SSNIT card, indicates that Mr Amankwah, has altered his age many times allowing him to stay in office for more years.

These documents which include that of the bank’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) report give different dates of birth, corroborating earlier information that indeed, Mr Amankwah, has been dishonest as a senior officer of the bank.

Currently, per the GCB’s records, the Deputy MD, is 59-years of age, but two other documents namely, a biometric Ghanaian passport and SSNIT card, put his age at 63 and 64 years, respectively.

The expectation of the workers are that, since the news of the Deputy MD in-charge of operations was made public, the Central Bank, would be interested in the matter by investigating the veracity of the allegation in order to take action.

This is comes after Mr Amankwah, got some workers of the bank removed on grounds that, they did not attain the required grades in Mathematics and Science at the Senior High School (SHS) level, although they were not employed on the grades they had obtained from SHS, but on HND and first degrees from reputable poly techniques and universities.

The bank, has since moved on to fill those vacancies with children of politicians among others. Most of the sacked workers, were recruited by the previous management led by Ernest Agbesi, while others were from First Capital Bank and UTbank, who were taken on after the merger in 2017.

In the face of the numerous articles revealing the age-cheating accusation, this paper has gathered that Mr Amankwah, is said to be going round telling people not to worry their heads about The Herald’s expose on him, because nothing can be done to him.

Other details are that, he is blaming the Human Resource Department of the Bank, for seeking to embarrass him, hence he is at loggerheads with most officers from that department.Few weeks after The Herald’s exposé on the Deputy Managing Director (MD) in charge of operations, over his multiple dates of birth, the bank, somewhat added to the list, revealing another date of birth of the top official, causing further damage to his image.

The latest age-cheating information, which puts his different dates of birth to three, came to light again, when the bank released its Annual General Meeting (AGM) report with him listed among 13 directors, and his year of birth stated as 1960, contrary to what were on his passport and SSNIT records.

This means that Mr Amankwah, who was mentioned as a banker by profession, is using at least three different dates of birth on vital official documents, including his biometric Ghanaian Passport, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and office records, which is a clear case of deceit and falsification of personal data.

This brings to question the integrity of Mr Amankwah, to continue working in such a sensitive position of a universal bank.

It is even more worrying because, this is a man who reportedly ensured the sacking of some staff members of the bank, claiming they got their employment with wrong WASSCE grades obtained from their senior secondary school days.

There are reports that he allegedly altered his date of birth with the GCB-bank, hence going on retirement in May next year, although he is long passed the retirement age of 60.

Currently, per the GCB’s records, he is 59-years of age, but two other documents namely, a biometric Ghanaian passport and SSNIT card, put his age at 63 and 64 years, respectively.The passport details available to The Herald have it that it was issued him on April 29, 2016, and expires on April 28, 2021.

The type P passport numbered G1297125 was handed him in Accra, and it puts his place of birth as Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, and his date of birth as May 1, 1956, which is different from his Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) records. Mr Amankwah’s details with SSNIT, mentions his date of birth as March 14, 1955.

His SSNIT number is F015503140059 and parents’ names as Grace Sarpong and Badu Nelson. He was registered as a member of SSNIT on December 30, 1975.Per the two details; the SSNIT records and his current Ghanaian passport, Mr Amankwah, should have gone on compulsory retirement over three years ago, but he is still at post.