Agitations at Ghana Airport Company over Alleged Political Appointments

Tension is mounting at the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) as workers protest against management decisions they believe are undermining the organization’s progress. The grievances center around what they describe as politically motivated appointments, favoritism, and procedural breaches under the leadership of Managing Director Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare.

Workers allege that the MD has fast-tracked the promotion of certain individuals to top management positions within just three months of their employment, bypassing due process. They claim these appointments are influenced by political affiliations with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), particularly within the Commercial Department, which oversees key revenue contracts and landed properties.

Adding to the discontent is the reinstatement of Felicia Edem Attipoe, former MCE for Tema East. Staff members claim she continued to receive salaries while on leave without pay during her political appointment. Despite an earlier interdiction letter, she has been re-engaged by the new MD following the NPP’s exit from power. Aggrieved workers are calling for an independent committee to investigate allegations of double salary payments against her, even though she reportedly refunded the amount after the NPP left office.

The workers are also raising concerns about politically exposed individuals occupying key management positions. They cite the appointment of Gideon Mahama Grumah, a former aide to the late Aviation Minister Kofi Addah and an NPP parliamentary aspirant, as Director of Commercial Services. Additionally, they claim that the MD has promoted several NPP executives and loyalists, including Greater Accra Regional Vice Chairman Eric Yeboah and 18 others, to senior management positions without following established procedures.

The staff are also questioning why the new Mahama administration has retained Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare as MD, despite widespread dissatisfaction. Furthermore, some employees have vowed to resist any attempt to introduce a Deputy Managing Director position, arguing that it does not exist in the company’s organizational structure. They warn that such moves could lead to ongoing tensions between the government and the workers’ union.

As the agitation grows, workers are demanding transparency, adherence to due process, and a management structure free from political influence.