TUC wages into Woyome controversy
Kofi Asamoah - TUC boss(left), Alfred Agbesi Woyome(right)
The Trade Unions Congress (TUC), has called on the President to set up a truly independent enquiry into the controversial GH¢58 million dole-out to Mr. Alfred Woyome, to get to the bottom of the case.
The call was made by the General Secretary of the TUC, Mr. Kofi Asamoah, at the 2011 Ghana TUC/GJA (Ghana Journalists Association) end of year interactions in Accra.
Mr. Asamoah expressed concern about the conflicting narratives given by personalities from the different political divide, adding that such conflicting narratives do not help the public get a dispassionate account of the facts of the case.
“We call on the President to set up a truly independent enquiry, not a presidential commission of enquiry, to investigate this matter, and submit a report thereon, to the President for necessary action.”
He further requested that in the interest of transparency and openness, the sittings of such a committee of enquiry should be held in public, to ensure public confidence in the outcome of the committee’s work.
Public contracts, according to him, were an important tool for national development, and that was why any suggestion that they might be used for the unjust enrichment of individuals at the expense of the public, should be thoroughly investigated, in the interest of the public and the reputation of the individuals concerned.
The TUC further reiterated its earlier comments on the economy, which pointed out to the fact that the cost of living in Ghana remains high, despite the declining rate of inflation.
Mr. Asamoah noted that even though some politicians were using all means available to them to make people believe that Ghana was doing well, he added that Ghanaians were matured enough to know the reality on the ground, and thus took the opportunity to remind politicians that it was their responsibility to manage the economy well.
“The 1992 Constitution gives power to the people of Ghana, at least, through the ballot box, and Ghanaians have utilised this opportunity very well. We have not hesitated to vote governments out of power if we are not satisfied with their performance. Politicians cannot afford to ignore this basic fact in Ghana’s short history of democracy.”
Mr. Asamoah also pointed out the lack of decent employment for the tens of thousands of young men and women who graduate from the various educational institutions every year.
“Beyond the rhetoric, we have not seen any concrete measures being taken to deal with the employment challenge in Ghana (i.e. the lack of decent jobs for the youth in the country),” he said.
The TUC also appealed to the government to take the bull by the horns, in terms of upward adjustments of salaries.
“Many workers in Ghana can still not meet their basic needs because of low pay in both the private and public sectors. The Base Pay and the Pay Point Relativity on the SSSS should be adjusted in such a way that the SSSS can offer meaningful salaries to all public service workers.”
The General Secretary, on behalf of the Executive Board of the Ghana TUC, congratulated the hardworking people of Ghana for their forbearance and heroism, and for their enduring commitment to the development of Ghana, and for the maintenance of peace and harmony at their workplaces across all the sectors, both formal and informal.
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Give us a break. what commission are they talking about? is the tuc saying the government should interfere in the decision of the court? this is a judgment debt and nothing more. when Npianin and tarzan were fried by court on technical grounds was Ghana money not involved? why did they not call for commission of inquiry? Hypocrites.
Hypocrites, indeed! It is laughable when you hear many of our so called learned talking or trying to make sense on national issues. One wonders if realy the tax payer paid for thier education or they are only trying to stand between truth and lies.
I for one knows form my heart that many of the people who are at the top of many of the places in our dear country are only at the top just to flies those under the bottom of the ladder.
We are calling for strong institutions, and we the same people in doubt of the meaning of the insititution we have in place. Does this make sense to anybody who realy have his or her head on?
I think we must stand up to tell these fools to know that they have to think before talking.
It is painful to read these from someone one thinks should know better but comes out to say things that dose not make sense if you are realy not mischievous.
Everybody knows we are doing politics but at least we must try to tell some kind of truth, not to create the impression that somthing which should not have happened has been made to happen. We must be bold call a spade a spade. We must tell the whole truth what brought about this issuse.
Was the right done in the first place? or we are only trying to dicth the blame to the other side. I know nobody will be fair to say this but if one want someone who knows bad from evil to know the truth will say it no matter how it hurts. This will make us human.
We should at all time stand for the truth but not to play the good but in real sense we may the devil around.
Pato, I can’t understand your line of reasoning in this saga. Yes, there’ s the need to set up an independent body to unearth the truth surrounding the award of the contract, the abrogation of the contract and subsequent settlement to Alfred. As an independent thinker, what I’m interested to know is the legality/illegality of the actions of previous government; the refusal of the AG to put up a defence; and why such huge amount was paid to Alfred, when in fact, he did not actually fully undertake the works he is suing for. It is ridiculous for our president to rather pass the buck to NPP.
Today is my first time coming to Chronicles forum, and have found Pato to be some one out there to criticise any one who has something to say about Woyome saga.How can people be so stupid to be blinded like this. Dont you guys back home feel how these politicians are miliking the country dry, and someone like Pato has the gut to defend the indefensible.
You wait, people who make peaceful peace recourse impossible, make violent revolution inevitable. One day, one day, our Arab spring will arrive, and gadaffis demise will be more decent than what awaits our politicians
Well spoken Ed, well spoken. and as for Pato or whatever he/she is called, i find it difficult to see where he hs coming from. All the TUC is saying is that let the president set an independent body to go into all the issues involved in this whole ripoff. EOCO or whatever, they call them were the people who investigated the Muntaka, and all of us know the outcome of that investigation, they also supposedly investigated the GFA and what was the out come?
They are under the AG’s office, and the AG’S office is involved in this whole deal, how can we expect them to be neutral?
If the NDC wants the truth to come out, then let them set up in independent commission, let their sittings be open and let all Ghanians see what is going on. If someone makes this suggestion what has he or she said wrong to warrant all the insults?
Shallow minded thinkers like Pato and OLU have been the bane of our country. To ‘Pato’ – Obama didn’t ask us to build spurious and incompetent institutions. EOCO, as presently constituted is nothing but a bunch of bootlickers. Show me one case they resolved well and I can point to ten they messed up. To ‘OLU’ – you fail to mention that the Court reached its decision because your AG (destined to go down as the worst AG in the annals of Ghanaian history), failed to put up a defense. All virtuous citizens should ask for an independent inquiry into this serious matter. The TUC should rather be commended, not denigrated for requesting such. Long live Ghana!
Dont be supprise at pato”s insults he is one of the wicked people the devil has send to ghana. only intense prayers can free this country from them (NDC).
GOD BLESS GHANA.