ECG Workers‘Rejects’ New MD
There is a simmering tension mounting among the general staff of the state-owned Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG),following the appointmentof Mr. Samuel Dubik Masubir Mahamaby the Presidency as the new Managing Director (MD) of the company.
Theydescribed the appointment as retrogressive, considering the challenges bedeviling the company which required more experienced person as the head to handle; someone who lives with the company for years and understands the issues.
Though, the divisional unions of the company are yet to make any public statement on the matter, The Anchoris informed, all is not well among the worker at various branches, including the Electro-Volta House; as the development is generating heated discussions on some WhatsApp platforms of the workers.
The disenchantment among the workers follows the sudden changein the appointment ofMr. Jones Ofori–Addo, the Deputy Managing Director in-charge of Sales&Customer Service/Finance and Corporate Services in less than 24 hours, after management had announced him as the Acting Managing Directorof ECG until a substantive is appointed.
According to this paper’s information, Mr. Ofori–Addo is considered as the preferred choice of the workers, having worked with the company for many years and has risen through the ranks; and hassubstantial knowledge of all problems and challenges of the company.
On the lips of the workers since the appointment, they believethe new Managing Director is inexperienced for the job, and the problems which had existed under previous heads maynot be solved anytime soon, because Mr. Mahamawasa member of the current Board until his appointment.
It is not clear, whether the staff will offer him the maximum support in the discharge of his duties; considering the nature of disagreement that greeted his appointment.
A glance through Mr Samuel Mahama’s profile showed some interesting revelations.
He is a product of Achimota School where he studied General Arts and completed in the year 2001. He furthered his education with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology between the years 2003-2007 at Ghana’s premium university, University of Ghana. He pursued law at the University of Ghana and later to the Ghana School of Law for his Professional Law Course in 2011-2013.
Mr Samuel Dubik Mahama is a partner at Dubik and Associates law firm and has over 12 years of working experience serving in Executive roles. He has been in Ghana’s business industry for almost 2 decades and has worked in both the private and public sectors. During his tenure in the public sector, he worked with the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) whose sole aim is to promote foreign direct investment in Ghana. Mr Dubik served as the head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the GIPC.
In his business life, he has focused mainly on the energy sector where he has worked with American companies such as Bridgewell resources LLC based in Portland Oregon, Gulf South Forest products based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Elsewedy Electricals based in Cairo Egypt for a decade now.
Mr Mahama hasexperience in consulting for local energy, mining, and engineering firms by assisting them to identify viable projects with necessary funding for turnkey projects. He also serves on the Board of a few companies including Wilkins Engineering Limited, De-Montag Company Limited and Ghana Industrial Holding Company (GIHOC).
Controversy
The new MD took over from the outgoing Managing Director; Kwame Agyeman-Budu who had attained the statutory retirement age.
Kwame Agyeman–Budu, who had been serving as MD of ECG, had long attained the statutory retirement age, and was expected to step down on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
However, on May 12, the Deputy MD in-charge of Sales&Customer Service/FinanceJones Ofori–Addo was announced as the Acting Managing Director of ECG by management until a substantive MD is appointed.
But, barely 24 hours after the announcement, came another notification; a letter dated May 13th announcing the nomination of a substantive MD. The Presidency, had in the letter urged the Energy Ministry led by Matthew Opoku Prempeh to trigger necessary modalities to facilitate Samuel Dubik Masubir Mahama’s regularisation in accordance with Company Act, 2019 (Act 992).
Interestingly, the appointment of Engineer Ofori-Addo, came through an internal memo from the EGC. The ECG circular numbered 2022/139, and dated 12th May 2022 was signed by Cynthia Amartey, identified as ECG director in charge of human resources, said Ing. Ofori-Addo’s appointment takes effect from 13 May 2022, but the President’s letter torpedoed the arrangement.
It had read: “Acting appointment –Ing. Jones Ofori-Addo. Following the age retirement of the Managing Director, Mr. Kwame Agyeman-Budu, Ing, Jones Ofori-Addo, Deputy Managing Director, Sales & Customer Service/Finance & Corporate Service has been appointed to act as Managing Director until substantive is appointed”.
“This appointment takes effect from 13th May, 2022”, said the circular adding, “all staff are expected to give him the maximum support in the discharge of his duties.”
It was copied to a list of personnel including directors, general managers, supervisors and the general secretary of the Public Utility Workers’ Union (PUWU).
The president’s letter had the heading “Appointment of managing director of the Electricity Company Ghana Limited” and it said “The President, has nominated Mr. Samuel Dubik Masubir Mahama for appointment as the Managing Director of the Electricity Company Ghana Limited (the Company).
“Kindly take necessary steps to regularise the said appointment in accordance with the relevant provisions of the companies Act, 2019 (Act 992) and the regulations of the Company.
“The letter has copied the Vice-President, the Chief of Staff, the Minister of Energy and the Chairperson of the ECG.
Meanwhile, The Anchorisobtaining details on how some juicy ECG contracts were awarded to certain companies which havelinks with the new Managing Director.
source:anchorghana
