GPHA reverses staff promotions - Decision follows irregularities
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has reversed recent staff promotions within the establishment in a drastic measure, supposedly to enforce discipline, eliminate favouritism and reward deserving staff.
The management has, however, insisted that the decision to reverse recent promotions of staff of the company is the outcome of a committee’s investigation into promotion irregularities spanning several years.
The enquiry, it said, was triggered by several petitions to management by staff of the company.
It is the latest of internal enquiries about staff competence, and the appropriateness or suitability for roles within some major national operational establishments, including the security services.
In a statement issued by the Marketing and Corporate Affairs unit of the authority, the GPHA explained that the acting Director-General, Brigadier General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono, commissioned a committee to thoroughly investigate alleged irregularities in staff promotions based on the petitions he received.
It indicated that the outcome revealed that, indeed, the promotions of a number of staff were against the authority’s policy.
“After months of meticulously assessing the promotions on a case-by-case basis, the findings revealed that a significant number of them were in breach of the authority's promotion policy as there were instances where some individuals were promoted multiple times within a single year, while other competent and deserving staff members were sidelined,” the statement said.
Disparities
It emphasised that the acting Director-General felt that such disparities were contrary to the principles of fairness and had the potential to demoralise hardworking staff.
Hence, it said, after broad consultations, the decision was taken to annul all recent promotions that were found to be in breach of established Human Resource policy within the GPHA.
It stated that the decision was taken with the utmost sensitivity, fairness, and objectivity it deserves, with careful consideration given to both the individual and organisational impact.
It added that the decision was also in the interest of all Ghanaians, and in line with the government’s Reset Agenda, which sought to restore discipline, accountability and integrity in public sector institutions.
Financial impact
The statement also underscored the financial implications that such irregular promotions would have on the GPHA, describing it as a threat to the long-term fiscal health of the authority.
“The cumulative financial impact of these unjustifiable promotions posed a threat to the long-term fiscal health of the authority. It is imperative to state that this is not a punitive exercise; rather, a corrective step towards strengthening the integrity of the authority and ensuring that all employees are treated fairly, and that career advancement within the authority is based strictly on merit and performance,” it said.
The statement added that the authority understood that such reforms might raise concerns among affected parties, and, therefore, established appropriate channels through which staff may seek redress.
It expressed confidence that the action taken by the GPHA would help to boost the confidence of staff and position the authority as a performance-driven one.
Previous actions
In June this year, the management of the Bank of Ghana dismissed at least 100 staff said to have been recruited by the previous administration in the days before it handed over to the current administration.
The central bank cited "considered performance outcomes, alignment with the bank's values, and the potential to contribute meaningfully to its strategic objectives" as reasons for the termination of employment of those staff.
However, the action was eventually reversed.
The Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, also raised concerns over the suitability of some recruits into the military following damning revelations from an internal enquiry.
He raised concerns about the growing trend of unqualified persons gaining entry into the Ghana Armed Forces through irregular means, warning that such practices threatened the integrity of the military and put lives at risk.
Citing the results of an internal enquiry instituted earlier this year, he said out of 452 persons investigated from Regular Career Course 64, Course 65 and Short Service Course 62, a staggering 210 — forming nearly half of the total figure — were found to have sidestepped one or more of the established recruitment criteria.
