“Under no circumstances therefore should any preferential concession be considered in any collaboration which impacts on the Ghanaian Sovereignty and Human Rights. We appeal to His Excellency the President to ensure due process is exhausted with due diligence to expunge the controversial articles from the agreement in the interest of National Security and public order,” a statement from the federation said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”3sF7CIGQfs9BQ7iowgHupGWspbCtxwVD”]Parliament last Friday [March 23, 2018], approved the controversial Ghana-US defence cooperation agreement which will allow the United States access into the country to camp some of its military forces.

The deal was approved by only Majority Members of Parliament after the Minority staged a walkout during the debate on the Floor of the House.

They had claimed that the agreement was not in the interest of the country and should be rejected.

Hundreds of Ghanaians hit the streets of Accra on Wednesday to protest the agreement ratified by Parliament saying it infringes on the sovereignty of Ghana.

The Labour Federation, in its statement, expressed worry over the agreement stating that it could have negative ripple effects on the country’s workforce.

“We are indeed worried and scared about the far-reaching consequences for labour and the entire populace if the country’s laws are compromised for the sake of partnership Agreement with a country which has little respect for conventional Rules and Regulations,” the statement added.

Below is the full statement from the Ghana Federation of Labour:

The Ghana Federationof Labour has followed with dismay the partisan political debate over the sovereignty of our country vis-à-vis the US military and Ghana Government Agreement, a discourse which as polarized the society.

We are indeed worried and scared about the far reaching consequences for labour and the entire populace if the country’s laws are compromised for the sake of partnership Agreement with a country which has little respect for conventional Rules and Regulations.

The United States of America as a permanent member of the International Labour Organization (ILO), has refused to ratify critical OLO core labour standards, conventions 87 and 98 concerning Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining Rights thereby violating the rights of workers with impunity.

Under no circumstances therefore should any preferential concession be considered in any collaboration with impacts on the Ghanaian Sovereignty and Human Rights.

We appeal to His Excellency the President to ensure due process is exhausted with due diligence to expunge the controversial articles from the agreement in the interest of National Security and public order.

We solidarise with civil society organisations which have expressed concern about the enhanced slavery of the people of Ghana.

Signed by:

Caleb Nartey, President

&

Abraham Koomson, Secretary General

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Remove ‘controversial’ articles from US military camp deal – Union appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Federation, such expenses can only be described as “profligate expenditure” and far from SSNIT’s mandate.

[contextly_sidebar id=”PDpwSDhhwyLCDoMUhu0FlXOFzZlgVNlm”]“Even though the new management has instituted a forensic audit into SSNIT operations, we observe with disquiet, evidence of profligate expenditure and opulence being displayed again. For instance the advertisement by SSNIT published in the Ghanaian Times of 16^th June 2017 inviting tenders for supply of luxury executive diaries, luxury desk diaries, deluxe/luxury slim pocket diaries etc for the year 2018, is indeed worrying,” the Federation said in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Abraham Koomson.

It also described the development as worrying and said: “these happenings and the philanthropic gesture of SSNIT Management towards non-members of the scheme blatantly defeats the purpose for which the SSNIT was established.”

This comes on the back of an investigation being carried into the activities of SSNIT following a revelation of a procurement and installation of $72 million software and hardware components for a digitization project undertaken by the Trust.

GFL in the statement further wants government to make public a report carried into the operations of SSNIT in 2001, which according to GFL “revealed gross mismanagement of SSNIT.”

“While awaiting the result of another inquiry to unearth yet another heinous conspiracy to fleece SSNIT, we demand of government to recognize the ownership of the Fund and act to halt the menace in the interest of national security and economic growth,” the statement added.

Background

SSNIT is being investigated by EOCO for blowing $72 million on procuring and installing a software and other hardware systems known as the Operational Business Suite in a bid to digitize the Trust.

The cost, which was originally $34 million, later ballooned to $66 million and then to $72 million due to maintenance and additional infrastructure.

The Board Chairman of SSNIT, Kwame Addo Kufuor, in an earlier interview with Citi News, said about 15 people had appeared before EOCO as witnesses in the matter.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Labour Federation angry over purchase of ‘luxury diaries’ by SSNIT appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.