There is tension simmering among the staff of the Ghana Standards Authority, GSA.
Director General for the authority Prof. Alex Dodoo was to proceed on two weeks’ leave according to a circular to staff from Director of Administration Nii Teiko Douglas on July 8, 2022.
Prof. Dodoo is however yet to return to the office a month after. The information available to this reporter indicates the chief of staff has written to the DG to proceed on indefinite leave for a 3 member committee set up to investigate allegations of mismanagement at the GSA. The circular informs staff of the absence of the DG named Clifford Frimpong who is acting Deputy Director General as his replacement also in an acting capacity. The development has got the staff agitated questioning the basis for such an appointment.
According to the workers, the senior most of the two substantive deputy Directors General ought to have been appointed to act in the absence of the DG.
Clifford Frimpong having been acting had not been confirmed by the Public Service Commission. Mr Clifford according to the Public Services Commission manual and guidelines as well as the Ghana Standards Authority Acting Policy should not have been named as a replacement for the DG in his absence. According to sources the acting DG Clifford Frimpong, board chairman and Director of Administration Nii Teiko Douglas have kept the letter from the presidency asking Prof. Dodoo to step aside from staff. The development has enabled the DG to be running affairs from home.
The workers have therefore raised several questions demanding answers from the appointing authority:
1. Why is the letter from Jubilee House asking Prof. Alex Dodoo to proceed on indefinite leave being kept away from staff?
2. What are the terms of reference of the 3 member committee tasked to investigate allegations of mismanagement at the GSA since the National Investigations Bureau, NIB did a thorough investigation of the conduct of the DG a year ago?
3. Why is the board chairman always interfering in the day-to-day running of the GSA?
4. What are the roles of two deputy DGs appointed by the President?
The staff want the appointing authority to respond to the above concerns immediately to help calm nerves at the authority.