The recent tension reported among the staff of the Ghana Standards Authority over the decision by President Akufo-Addo to ask the Director General for the institution, Prof. Alex Dodoo, to proceed on leave has now heightened.
The development, according to sources, is a result of the decision by Prof. Alex Dodoo to continue to run the organization from home, where he gives instructions and performs other activities including the signing of payment vouchers and cheques. The move is in clear violation of the directive from the Chief of Staff for him to step aside to allow for a 3 member committee to investigate him on allegations of mismanagement at the authority.
The circular informing staff of the absence of the DG named Clifford Frimpong, who is an acting Deputy Director General, to act as DG in the absence of Prof. Dodoo. This development has got staff worried and agitated, questioning the basis for such an appointment, especially, where there are two other senior substantive deputy Directors General at the Authority, duly appointed by the President.
“Why are they not made to act?” some of them questioned.
According to sources, the acting DG, Clifford Frimpong, the board chairman and the Director of Administration, Nii Teiko Annan have allegedly been aiding the DG in his decision to run affairs from home. The DG has allegedly withdrawn an amount of GhC 396,566.19 as his retirement benefit despite being on leave. It is alleged that Prof Alex Dodoo, in total disregard for the directive from the presidency for him to step aside, signed the cheque, for this huge amount, for payment to be made on his own behalf.
The legal department of the authority has also been dissolved with the approval of the GSA board with one of the most experienced lawyers sent away on secondment.
GSA Legal services were outsourced to a private firm Acrony allegedly without competitive bidding and approval from the Public Procurement Authority.
The workers this reporter has gathered are calling for an immediate restoration of the GSA legal department. According to them the amount paid to the private legal firm could be used to fix some of the faulty laboratory equipment and frequently broken down staff bus.
GSA has signed numerous contracts and institutional memories which are vital in the administration of GSA.
The authority according to a letter signed by the Director of administration Nii Teiko Douglas is also sponsoring an attorney for a training course in South Africa at the cost of $24,755. The development comes at a time when many GSA laboratories according to sources are without chemicals for testing. Staff medical bills have also been in arrears for months.
The development has gotten the staff agitated questioning the basis for such a move.
The staff according to information available to this reporter are calling on the appointing authority to institute a forensic audit into activities of the GSA spanning back to June this year.
The majority of the staff of GSA do not want the appointing authorities to bring Prof Dodoo back to GSA as their director general.