ISD workers happy with removal of boss

Workers of the Information Services Department (ISD) have expressed satisfaction with the dismissal of the Acting Director of the department, Mr Francis Kwarteng Arthur.

They, however, appealed to the President to appoint a substantive director who would help revive the department to meet its mandate.

The ISD has been without a substantive head for more than 10 years.

The workers were initially blamed for the error-ridden Independence Day brochure, after their boss issued a statement and apologised on behalf of the department.

The workers, however, denied responsibility, saying work on the brochure was executed by the Flagstaff House Communications Bureau.

The dismissal and inaccuracies

In view of that, the workers petitioned the head of the Civil Service and the President to sack Mr Kwarteng.

Barely a day after the petition, Mr Arthur has been relieved of his duties as Acting Director of the ISD and subsequently carried in a statement signed and issued in Accra yesterday by the Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Debrah.

It indicated that the Ministry of Communications had been asked to assume responsibility for the Flagstaff House Communications Bureau.

Embarrassment

Mr Arthur has, for the past few days, come under attack for taking responsibility for errors in this year’s Independence Day anniversary brochure.

The brochure contained a series of grammatical errors and factual inaccuracies, such as the Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, being described as the President of the Republic of Ghana.

The inaccuracies and blunders committed in the 30-page document got many Ghanaians angry because they caused great embarrassment to the government in particular and Ghanaians in general.

The international media did not spare Ghana, as they ridiculed the country for the mistakes.

According to the ISD workers, who showed their displeasure in a demonstration on the premises of the department last Tuesday, some members of the Flagstaff House Communications Bureau were responsible for the brochure and, therefore, should take responsibility for the blunders.

Mr Arthur, who took office on December 7, 2015, later accepted responsibility for the errors as the chairman of the communications sub-committee of the National Planning Committee for the anniversary and not as Acting Director of the ISD.

“The good news”

When the Daily Graphic visited the premises of the ISD yesterday, the staff were going about their normal duties.

Although they said they had not received any memo or formal information about the removal of the acting director as of the time this reporter visited the premises, they had heard it on the various media platforms.

While some of them declined to comment on the issue, others said they were satisfied with the fact that Mr Arthur had been relieved of his position.

Others too demanded the appointment of a substantive director, since they had not had one for more than 10 years to run the affairs of the department and revive it to execute its mandate.

“It is great news and we are happy that our request has been granted immediately. The director was sent here for an agenda by some people at the Flagstaff House but work at the department is gradually collapsing,” one of the workers, who pleaded anonymity, said.

“ISD rendered useless”

“For some years now all jobs supposed to be given to the ISD goes to the Flagstaff House, rendering the staff of ISD redundant. At the just-ended 59th independence celebration, a common PH system job was given to an outsider, instead of the ISD,” another worker, who gave his name only as Ebenezer, told the Daily Graphic.

“Sometimes when we request for equipment to work, we are told to wait for Stan Dogbey to grant us whatever we need. Meanwhile, some telephone lines have been cut, while even electricity to some parts of the department has been disconnected,” he added

Modern technologies needed

Another member of staff who gave his name as David Owusu Amoah appealed to the President to appoint an energetic person who would revive the department.

He said although there were laid-down requirements for the selection, an experienced communications person was needed to help revitalise the department.