By Laudia Sawer
Tema, May 23, GNA – The Tema Traditional Council (TTC) has cautioned management of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) against alleged plans to lay off some 45 residents of Tema Manhean employed not long ago.
Nii Armah Soumponu II, the Stool Secretary, and Tema Shipi, giving the caution at a news conference, indicated that they had picked up signals of plans to lay off the said workers, who are made up of both indigenes and non-indigenes.
He explained that the workers were employed by Mr. Daniel Titus Glover, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, who was then the Chief Executive Officer VALCO.
According to him, the opportunities created for the 45 residents helped reduce tension in the town, as before their employment, the youth were unhappy about the inability of the industries in Tema to provide jobs for them even though all their farmlands were sacrificed for the industrialization of the country.
“It is with the utmost pain to note that no sooner had Mr. Titus-Glover left the office than his successor, Mr. Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, started skirmishes to lay off those workers,” the council alleged.
The Tema Shipi stressed, “May God forbid this, but if he goes ahead with this wicked agenda that has the potential to discredit the government, we shall resist with unprecedented zeal. We therefore advise him to desist from the wicked intention he is nurturing, or he will be faced with the wrath of our people.”
They further expressed worry that “from the way things are going, it is our suspicion that some of those traditional rulers from Kpone and Tema, whom Hon. Titus-Glover has given the privilege to attend VALCO Hospital, shall also be denied this privilege.”
The TTC therefore called on President Akufo-Addo to take prompt action to halt the alleged intention, which it said has the potential to damage the image of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
Meanwhile, when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) contacted the management of VALCO for their response to the allegations, they said the CEO was out of the country and would therefore give their side on a later day when he arrived.
GNA