The leadership of the staff groups of Volta River Authority (VRA)/Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) has expressed profound revulsion and objection to the purported appointment of Mr. R.A. Abdul Jalil as the Director of Public Affairs of VRA.
According to the group, in a press statement, the appointment of Abdul Jalil who doubles as the Savannah Regional Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is not only irregular but also threatens the integrity and established protocols of the VRA operations under the VRA Act 46 as amended, and the recruitment processes and policies so adopted and practiced.
The group continued that this purported appointment is a flagrant disregard for VRA’s time-tested recruitment processes and policies.
“Managerial and Directorate positions in VRA are not filled with government appointment or from the Office of the President. This does not only set a dangerous precedent but also undermines the professional standards that have been the bedrock of VRA,” part of the statement read.
They added that Directorate positions are filled based on established procedures, ensuring fairness, competency, and meritocracy.
The statement added that “the purported appointment is in clear violation of the Senior Staff Conditions of Service and the Collective Agreement between management and the PSWU of TUC. The Conditions of Service clearly outline the processes for Managerial and Directorate appointments.”
The group was of the view that there are dedicated and serving employees who have served VRA over the years and have developed the competencies, exposure, institutional knowledge, and experiences to occupy the position.
“This purported appointment disregards the professional experiences, abilities and contribution of such staff who have diligently gone through the ranks. This purported appointment is not only a major source of de-motivation to the workforce, an affront to hard work and negatively affect productivity but also undermine career progression as well as succession planning within the VRA,” it read.
The labour group has called on the Acting Chief Executive of VRA to resist any pressure to enforce this purported appointment, insisting that Mr. R. A. Abdul Jalil, if qualified, must submit to the standard recruitment processes of the VRA and compete fairly with other qualified candidates as and when there is a vacancy.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke