Gloria Akuffo disclosed this at Bolgatanga during a familiarization tour of the Upper East Region on Thursday.

The tour to was to enable her have first hand information about the challenges confronting state attorneys in the discharge of their duties in the region.

[contextly_sidebar id=”wtLHIux0NXxSitIltn1dvfoEDV0v9YYi”]She recounted numerous problems confronting state attorneys in their line of duty saying government was committed to resourcing them work effectively and efficiently.

“We have problems with staffing, vehicles, office equipment and accommodation confronting the justice delivery system. I have tried to explain that there have been some neglect, but as of now there are constraints with money and by the time government finishes servicing the loans and meeting statutory obligations, we would have much left to share but whatever little we get we will try to use it in such a manner that all my offices will get something to work with.”

“In respect of staffing, we have be given approval to recruit about Fifty (50) Attorneys, they are going through the recruitment process, and once the process is completed we will send some lawyers to the Upper East Region. In the meantime, I have asked the National Service Secretariat (NSS) to post to my office all lawyers who are newly enrolled and will not have performed their National service yet so we can use them to support Attorneys in the regions,” Miss Akuffo stated.

Miss Akuffo also indicated that, government would soon procure some vehicles for state attorneys to facilitate their operations.

State attorneys ditching gov’t for better paying jobs

There were reports in 2016 which suggested that State Attorneys were abandoning the judicial service for better paying jobs.

According to the Director of Public Prosecution at the time, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, the trend hampered the delivery of justice across the country.

She noted that as at 2016, Accra had only 36 prosecuting attorneys, noting that the situation was “worse in the regional offices.”

She said a region as big as the Brong Ahafo Region could boast of only two prosecuting attorneys, “two in the Central Region, two in the Upper West Region, three in the Northern Region, three in Volta Region, and six in the Eastern Region.”

“We have low numbers and we are actually overwhelmed. There are so many cases that we have to advise on. It all has to do with a number of factors. For some time now we’ve had high attrition rate, people come and leave because it is always better to work in private practice,” she lamented.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t to employ additional 50 State Attorneys appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They declared a strike in October 2016 to protest against government’s failure to meet their demands for improved conditions of service.

According to the Attorneys, President’s personal intervention in the matter and his assurance that their concerns will be address informed their decision to call off the strike.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General nominee, Gloria Akuffo at her vetting over the weekend confirmed that President Akufo-Addo had intervened and persuaded the Attorneys to resume work.

She said, “the President himself has intervened in the matter and has succeeded in persuading them to go back to work. I spoke with their national president and she assured me they will be reporting, God willing, on Monday…it [the Tuesday meeting] will come on because we have to look for not only immediate and medium term solutions but also long-term solutions. This will require the intervention of all the stakeholders; the attorneys, and it has to do with money, so maybe the fair wages commission and Ministry of Finance.”

Francisca Tetteh-Mensah, the National President of the State Attorneys Association, in an interview with Citi News said the association had received a letter from Nana Akufo-Addo confirming his readiness to address their concerns.

“With the coming of a new government we requested a meeting with the President and he granted us this meeting. We explained everything to him and he told us that being a former Attorney General and Lawyer, he respects the law and will make sure it is enforced.”

“We asked him for a written and he has given us this written commitment and that is why we are resuming. We are calling off the strike,” she said.

‘State attorneys begin nationwide strike’

The Association of State Attorneys declared a strike in October 2016, in protest of government’s failure to meet its demand for improved conditions of service.

Several efforts to get them to return to work have proved futile.

The Attorney-General’s office described the strike as illegal, and further directed the State Attorneys to return to work by Tuesday, January  3, 2017, or be “considered as having vacated post.”

The Association of State Attorneys, however, insisted their strike is legal, noting that it was pursuant to a statutory notice under Section 159 (b) of Act 651.

The attorneys also blamed the National Labour Commission for the impasse, explaining that the Commission should have gone to the High Court to compel government to improve their conditions of service.

Reliefs being sought by attorneys

The reliefs that were being sought by State Attorneys are:

• Payments of correct harmonized salaries to state attorneys.
• Sustainable pension scheme
• Free official vehicles
• Research allowance
• Housing facilities or allowance
• Free healthcare
• Payment of outstanding leap, clothing and fuel
• Payment of outstanding promotion salary arrears
• Logistic support, machinery, equipment and tools
• And illegal revision of conditions of service for state attorneys

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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During her vetting for the office of Attorney General and Minister of Justice position, Ms. Akuffo revealed that President Nana Akufo-Addo had intervened in the impasse between the Association of State Attorneys and government.

[contextly_sidebar id=”TERLUSrTv3BdF2fssPQpRo6gLBYtQ2eg”]“The President himself has intervened in the matter and has succeeded in persuading them to go back to work. I spoke with their national president and she assured me they will be reporting, God willing, on Monday,” she stated.

Ms. Akuffo also noted that there will be a further meeting with the state attorneys on Tuesday, January 24, despite the consensus seemingly being arrived at.

She explained that, “it [the Tuesday meeting] will come on because we have to look for not only immediate and medium term solutions but also long-term solutions. This will require the intervention of all the stakeholders; the attorneys, and it has to do with money, so maybe the fair wages commission and Ministry of Finance.”

“I will work very hard on bringing an amicable solution to the matter,” Ms. Akuffo further assured.

Background

The Association of State Attorneys declared a strike in October 2016, in protest of government’s failure to meet its demand for improved conditions of service.

Several efforts to get them to return to work have proved futile.

The Attorney-General’s office described the strike as illegal, and further directed the State Attorneys to return to work by Tuesday, January  3, 2017, or be “considered as having vacated post.”

The Association of State Attorneys, however, insisted their strike is legal, noting that it was pursuant to a statutory notice under Section 159 (b) of Act 651.

The attorneys also blamed the National Labour Commission for the impasse, explaining that the Commission should have gone to the High Court to compel government to improve their conditions of service.

Reliefs being sought by attorneys

The reliefs that were being sought by State Attorneys are:

• Payments of correct harmonized salaries to state attorneys.
• Sustainable pension scheme
• Free official vehicles
• Research allowance
• Housing facilities or allowance
• Free healthcare
• Payment of outstanding leap, clothing and fuel
• Payment of outstanding promotion salary arrears
• Logistic support, machinery, equipment and tools
• And illegal revision of conditions of service for state attorneys

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post State attorneys’ strike to end after Nana Addo’s intervention – Gloria Akuffo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Association of State Attorneys declared a strike in October 2016, in protest of government’s failure to meet its demand for improved conditions of service. Several efforts to get them to return to work have proved futile.

However, a letter from the outfit of the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, and signed by the Chief Director of the Ministry, Suleman Ahmed, described the strike as illegal and further threatened the State Attorneys to return to work by Tuesday, January  3, 2017, or be “considered as having vacated post.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”joaF6Wq8RuxBGVaQ6MKnMHfs82eIViwG”]Provoked by the threat, the Association of State Attorneys have also issued a counter statement stressing that their strike is legal.

The statement signed by its president, Francisca Tete-Mensah said:

“It goes without saying that the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General and the Legal Service Board, to which she is a chairperson, have been perpetuating an illegality against State Attorneys with the non-payment of pension to same. It is the most unpardonable illegal act of labour practice. Furthermore, notwithstanding, its unwillingness to meet with the Association in order to discuss the way forward for a sustainable Pension scheme and other conditions of service for State Attorneys, will the board now threaten state attorney with relieving us of our positions under the current predicament that we have found ourselves? This is unfair labour practice indeed!”

“Please take notice and notice is hereby given that for the avoidance of doubt, members of the association of State Attorneys have embarked upon legal strike pursuant to statutory notice under Section 159 (b) of Act 651. Furthermore, on the strength of section 169 (1) and (2) of Act 6521, ‘any termination of the contract as a result of the lawful strike or lockout is void.’ Again, no civil proceedings shall be brought against any worker, employer, trade union or employer’s organization or a member of such trade union or employer’s organization in respect of any lawful strike or lockout action taken in conformity with the provisions of this Act.”

In a separate interview on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News, the President of the Association further said the Ministry misused the term “vacation of post” in its threat.

“Vacation of post has some ingredients; the ingredient is that the workers whereabouts should not be known and the worker has refused to come to the office. In our case the strike is based on the labour Act where the Act allows us to go on legal strike. The ingredient of legal strike is that there should be a seven day notice to the Labour Commission and the parties. We have fulfilled this statutory requirement for which our strike is legal. We have been on strike for two months and within this period we have received our salary. It is so because we have embarked on a legal strike.”

State Attorneys blame Labour Commission

She further blamed the National Labour Commission for the impasse explaining that the Commission should have gone to the High Court to compel government to improve their conditions of service.

“The Labour commission has shirked its responsibility of doing that, that is why we are suffering now. If the Labour commission had stood up to the test and instructed the legal service board to grant us our pension and conditions of service, it wouldn’t have brought us this far.”

State Attorneys fire back; AG can’t withhold salaries 

The State Attorneys had earlier fought the AG over threat to withhold their salaries due to the strike.

They threatened to sue the AG if she dared execute such move.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post Striking State Attorneys ‘fight’ AG over ‘lay-off threat’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The AG directive is based on an order issued by the National Labour Commission (NLC) over the ongoing strike by the Attorneys.

The Association of State Attorneys declared a strike on Thursday over government’s inability to resolve some outstanding issues relating to their salaries.

They also raised a number of other concerns including the failure to enforce an earlier ruling by the National Labour Commission.

But speaking to Citi News’ Umaru Sanda, the Public Relations Officer of the Attorney General’s Department , Ebenezer Owusu Ansah denied claims that the AG had failed to enforce the NLC’s ruling, saying “It is not true. There were five issues that were brought before the National Labour Commission that is 1.salaries and benefits. 2. Retentional Single Spine. 3. SSNIT numbers to be sent to controller and I will like to say categorically that all these issues have been looked at.”

According to him, the State Attorneys were categorically instructed not to embark on a strike but they defied that directive.

“The Ministry, the Fair and Wages,Labour Commission have met at the National Labour Commission and these issues were discussed and they were categorically told not to go on strike, that was the directive.”

Reliefs being sought

The reliefs being sought by State Attorneys are:

1. Payments of correct harmonized salaries to state attorneys.
2. Sustainable pension scheme
3. Free official vehicles
4. Research allowance
5. Housing facilities or allowance
6. Free healthcare
7. Payment of outstanding leap, clothing and fuel
8. Payment of outstanding promotion salary arrears
9. Logistic support, machinery, equipment and tools
10. And illegal revision of conditions of service for state attorneys

State Attorneys call off strike

State attorneys embarked on a strike about three months ago over the same issues.

It later called off the strike to enable them go through the arbitration process.

State attorneys ditching gov’t for better paying jobs

The Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa had earlier complained that experienced state lawyers had abandoned the service for better paying jobs.

She noted that currently, Accra has only 36 prosecuting attorneys, adding that the situation is “worse in the regional offices.”

“People will come, gain the experience and go to better paying jobs, that affects the numbers that we have and the volume of work. We have so much work to do…sometimes you could have a docket sent to us which could be with a particular attorney for about three weeks or a month, not because that Attorney does not want to pay attention to the docket but that attorney has for instance 60 other dockets to work on,” she added.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Return to work or lose your pay – AG to State Attorneys appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Association has chastised the Ministry of Finance, the Justice and Attorney General’s Department and the Fair Wages and Salary Commission for failing to implement some directives of the National Labour Commission for their improved conditions of service which includes the provision of vehicles, harmonized salaries, sustainable pension schemes and logistical support.

[contextly_sidebar id=”I5sn69PI6dF7EzrSnPXLL1VaL5om3gSV”]A letter written by the association to the NLC lamented that “even though the Association has forwarded the SSNIT numbers of all its members to the legal service board as directed, till date no pension scheme has been put in place for state attorneys who were on the old CAP 30.”

The Association further noted that it has submitted proposed comprehensive conditions of service to the legal service board which is chaired by the Minister for Justice and Attorney General but “it is quite disheartening that over one year after the award was published no proper conditions of service have been implemented for State Attorneys.”

“The Association of State Attorneys is taking a very serious view about the refusal of the respondent herein to comply with NLC’s compulsory arbitration award which is binding on all parties to the dispute even after one year of the publication of same,” the letter added.

Below are the reliefs being sought by State Attorneys:

1. Payments of correct harmonized salaries to state attorneys.
2. Sustainable pension scheme
3. Free official vehicles
4. Research allowance
5. Housing facilities or allowance
6. Free healthcare
7. Payment of outstanding leap, clothing and fuel
8. Payment of outstanding promotion salary arrears
9. Logistic support, machinery, equipment and tools
10. And illegal revision of conditions of service for state attorneys

“We are by this letter giving notice of our intention to resort to legal strike in 7 days if our demands are not met,” the letter added.

State Attorneys call off strike

State attorneys embarked on a strike about three months ago over the same issues.

It later called off the strike to enable them go through the arbitration process.

State attorneys ditching gov’t for better paying jobs

The Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa had earlier complained that experienced state lawyers had abandoned the service for better paying jobs.

She noted that currently, Accra has only 36 prosecuting attorneys, adding that the situation is “worse in the regional offices.”

“People will come, gain the experience and go to better paying jobs, that affects the numbers that we have and the volume of work. We have so much work to do…sometimes you could have a docket sent to us which could be with a particular attorney for about three weeks or a month, not because that Attorney does not want to pay attention to the docket but that attorney has for instance 60 other dockets to work on,” she added.

–

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

The post State Attorneys to strike again if… appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.