MMT workers unhappy with suspension of MD

Source: Graphic Ghana Online - Workers of state-owned transport company, Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMT), have expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s decision asking the Managing Director of the company, Mr Noble John Appiah, to step aside...

They said although the decision to dissolve the board was the ‘right step’ in addressing the current problems within the company, the action taken with regard to Mr Appiah was ‘harsh’.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic yesterday, the Chairman of the Senior Staff Union of MMT, Mr Delali Kumah, said the staff of MMT believed that Mr Appiah had nothing to do with the company’s problems because ‘he was not at post when the incidents happened’.

Reacting to the dissolution of the board, its Chairman, Osabarima Ansah Sasraku III, said dissolving the board alone would not solve the company’s problems.

“It’s just fine to dissolve the board but will that solve the problem at MMT? Or is it going to allow things that would not augur well for the company? I think it will not solve the problem,” he said.

Last Wednesday, the government dissolved the board of directors of MMT following workers agitation over alleged corrupt dealings in the company.

A statement signed by the Chief of Staff, Mr Prosper Bani, also asked the Managing Director of the company, Mr Appiah, and his deputy, Mr John Awuku Dzuazah, to step aside while investigations into the workers’ grievances were conducted.

It asked Brigadier General I. B. Quartey (retd) to take over the management of the company pending the conclusion of the investigations.

Mr Kumah said since the alleged corrupt practices in the company was made public, the morale of the workers had been affected, adding that “workers are not happy with the unfolding events at MMT”.

“The workers believe once the two personalities cited in the corrupt deals are dismissed, their confidence would be restored,” he added.

Osabarima Sasraku indicated that the main problem of MMT was procurement, and blamed the Transport Ministry for not showing seriousness in the implementation of the audit report on the issue.

“If you change the board and the procurement problem is not addressed, it will not solve the problem,” he added.