From left: Joseph Ntsiful, Adombire Clinton and Eric Appiah, leaders of the group
A group of nurses calling themselves the disgruntled members of the Community Health Nurses (CHN) Association have expressed displeasure at the national executives’ failure to govern the association by the tenets of its constitution.
According to the group, the national executives have set aside the provisions of the association’s constitution and have adopted their own powers that are not provided by the constitution to govern the activities of the association.
Adombire Clinton, leader of the group, addressing the press, mentioned that the executives have, on several occasions, flouted the laws of the association in acts such as illegally deducting GH¢5 as dues without approval by the national delegates congress which is a breach of Article 19 Clause 2 of the CHN constitution.
He said the executives also breached the constitution of the association by staying in office as national executives beyond the constitutionally-mandated period of three years which ended in April 2015.
“With this, they have stayed on as national executives for additional 16 months without the approval of the highest decision-making body of the association which is the national delegates’ congress. We, therefore, consider all their activities from May 2015 till date to be unconstitutional,” he said.
They further accused the executives of mismanaging the funds of the association, indicating that the executives have failed to account for what the dues it deducts from the salaries of members are used for since its inception about five years ago.
Mr Adombila said the group is not in favour of the association’s decision to withdraw the group from the mother association, GRNMA, as proposed by Article 19 Clause 2 of the CHN constitution.
“We wish to state here and now that, such a major decision has not been well thought through and must be rescinded immediately because it has to be widely discussed by the majority of members of the group and be approved by the highest decision-making body of the association which is the national delegates’ congress,” he said.
The group has, thus, given the executives a week to revert to using the constitution to run the association.
Responding to the statement, Volta Regional Financial Secretary and an executive, Francis Botchway, debunked the allegation of the group, explaining that the money that the association collects is being put to good use.
He said, “We use some of the dues to support members of the association who are bereaved or are in unfortunate situations even though we are not supposed to do that.”
Mr Botchway, however, agreed that the period of office of the executives had expired, adding, “We have been moving around the country seeking the interest of members which ended in May this year and the national council suggested that we hold the congress at another time so we sent word to our members to suggest the date so we are waiting for our members to decide on the date.”
He also indicated that the decision by the association to break away from the GRNMA was a heed to a call by members of the association, adding that the GRNMA does not have the interest of the CHN at heart.
He blamed the lack of communication at the grassroots on misunderstanding, urging the group to come to the executives for clarification on issues instead of going to the public.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri