Congratulations, Mr Wisdom Yayra Koku Deku, on your elevation to the position of the Executive Secretary (ES) of the National Identification Authority (NIA). A confirmation of the usual saying that our enemies are not God. While the enemy was busy frustrating you and eventually had you dismissed through the previous ES, God was using the same process to make you visible, and it is that visibility that made you easily recognized by H. E President John Dramani Mahama and hence his selection of you for your new role at the NIA. May the good Lord guide you and make your reign very successful such that posterity will always judge you kindly whenever they have to talk about your term of office at the NIA, long after you are gone.
In August 2023, there was a publication of 10 dismissed staff of the NIA circulating in most media houses. Prof. Attafuah granted interviews to assert that the 10 had been dismissed on gross misconduct. The affected staff came out to defend themselves and debunk the allegations. They claimed that the allegations were not substantiated and reasons ascribed to the dismissal were contrary to what was publicised by Prof. Attafuah and the NIA.
Some of the reasons for dismissal were as flimsy as starting work early, staying at work later than 5 pm, extortion when the accused staff were not given a chance to put through their defence and/or interrogate their accusers
Not sure if you are aware of a former employee of NIA by the name of Martin Akowuah who suffered a similar fate as you, under the same ES who sent you home on the grounds that you belonged to the opposition NDC at the time?
I have been privileged to follow his case since it became an online petition and I have followed it with keen interest to be honest, anytime I think about the circumstances leading to his dismissal, my heart bleeds for this nation. Why should someone be dismissed on the grounds of being innovative in order to deal with a backlog of work and hence ease congestion at a workplace as a supervisor and leader?
Are we now saying that citizens should stop being innovative even if, in the end, it would bring us progress as a nation?
This isn’t the Ghana our forefathers fought to build with their lives and the need to correct it before it is too late.
For the record just so you are abreast of the young man’s ordeal :
He was interdicted for getting the staff under him to start work before 8 am just so they would be able to clear a backlog of work and ease congestion at the workplace. It wasn’t that someone went to report him. In fact, he personally volunteered that information to Ken Attafuah while on his working visit to the La Nkwantanang-Madina office of the NIA.
He was interdicted as a result, and for 13 months (which is in direct contrast with the laws establishing the Public service, which states clearly that staff under investigation SHALL NOT be on interdiction for more than 3 months ), his half salary was at a point even withdrawn. He was then made to face a panel set up by Ken Attafuah, the constitution of which was even questionable when you consider the laws governing the Public Service Act; an incompetent Disciplinary Committee comprising of contract staff was used to perpetrate that evil act of sacking a permanent staff of the Public Service Commission. It would interest you to note, that the DC set up by Prof. Attafuah concluded that no material or financial gains were made by this young man for instituting an early morning start but strangely this same DC recommended his dismissal according to the former ES.
The young man has since petitioned the National Labour Commission and for the last 20 months, Even though no adverse findings against this young man were established, the case has been left hanging while Mr Akowuah and his family continue to struggle to fend for themselves. That is how callous and inhumane the Ken Attafuah-led administration treated his own countrymen placed under his leadership at the NIA
I will plead with you to look into the matter and bring it to its logical conclusion so the young man can go back to work and put his expertise to work for God and the country.
I wish you well in your new role as the ES.
Thank you
Author: Mr D.K Larbie
Madina West
La Nkwantanang-Madina
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