Civil servants at the Ho Municipal Assembly on Thursday begun an indefinite strike over the revocation of privileges of the Assembly’s Finance Officer by the members of the Assembly.
Assembly Members, on Wednesday morning, rose against the Municipal Finance Officer (MFO) McGeorge Afetorgbor, locking up his office and official vehicle over claims of non-cooperation.
The action was a red-draped scene that followed the activation of a unanimous resolution of the Assembly on February 09 to strip the MFO of privileges attached to his office.
Mr Mawunyo Agbe, Presiding Member of the Assembly told the media during the showdown that the action against the MFO was intended to send a “signal” to stakeholders including the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, which he said had failed to address the issue.
But the Civil and Local Government Staff Association Ghana (CLOGSAG), in a swift response to the event, which was contained a statement released few hours after it unfolded, described it as an act of terror that rendered the Assembly premises unsafe for its members.
“This terrorist act has scared the staff and caused fear and panic among them. CLOGSAG is directing its members at the Ho Municipal Assembly to sit in the house, as their safety and security cannot be guaranteed, until further notice,” the statement, signed by Mr. Kojo Krakani, Deputy Secretary of the Association, stated.
The GNA’s visit on Thursday morning found the Assembly premises empty of workers with the impounded pickup truck among few vehicles stationed, while the MFO’s office remained under two padlocks with red fabric hung on the door as a signal of danger.
The Presiding Member told the media on Wednesday that the MFO had not provided the needed cooperation for the effective running of the Assembly, and that they the Assembly Members “cannot sit aloof.”
He said the mandate of individual Assembly Members in the growth of the various communities was being crushed by the MFO’s resolve to not support the development agenda of the Assembly, and that they were therefore willing to take pains to ensure things were done right.
“There is no gain without pain. We know that for today and for tomorrow we may suffer, but we have suffered for far too long and we are okay with a three-day challenge to fix this problem,” Mr. Agbe stated, adding that the finance committee and other bodies should be able to ensure the smooth operation of the Assembly until a new officer was posted.
Assembly Members had shared how their community members breathed on their necks for development and said the MFO’s repeated response of “no funds” contradicted the outlook of the growing Municipality.
The Assembly Members asked for the MFO to be replaced for his “gross insubordination” which did not aid the promotion of community development.
“We want somebody who will respect us the Assembly Members and we would also respect him for his vision,” Sefadzi Agama, a Member of the Assembly said.
Mr Divine Bosson, Ho Municipal Chief Executive, called for calm and professional discourse over the matter as the MFO was not a staff directly under the Assembly.
He said Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, had given the assurance that the issue would be solved.
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