The NDC lawmaker is seeking to revoke what he says is an illegal one-year post-retirement contract extension given to the GRDA CEO by the government
National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament (MP) for the South Dayi constituency in the Volta Region, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor (the applicant), has instituted a court action against Dr Ernest Yaw Owusu (1st defendant), chief executive officer of the Ghana Railways Development Authority (GRDA).
The law maker also sued the Ghana Railways Development Authority (GRDA) (2nd defendant) and Attorney General (3rd defendant).
He is essentially seeking to revoke what he says is an illegal one-year post-retirement contract extension given to the GRDA CEO by the government.
In all, he is seeking seven reliefs from the Supreme Court. First is “a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 199(4) of the 1992 Constitution as Amended by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (Amendment) Act, 1996, a public servant may only be engaged for a limited period of not more than two (2) years at a time but not exceeding five years in all on the condition that the exigencies of the service so require”.
Second, he is praying the court for “a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 199(4) of the 1992 Constitution as Amended by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (Amendment) Act, 1996, a retired public service officer can only be given a maximum of five years post-retirement contract for a limited period of not more than two (2) years at a time”.
The NDC legislator in his third relief is asking for “a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 199(4) of the 1992 Constitution as Amended by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (Amendment) Act, 1996, the 1st Defendant is not entitled to the purported one-year post-retirement contract extension dated the 10 October 2023 effective 18 December 2023 to 17 December 2024 given to the 1st Defendant by the President of the Republic of Ghana as he has exhausted the maximum five (5) years engagement period provided by the Constitution”.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth reliefs the applicant is seeking are in the form of orders. The first of the three is “an order revoking the one-year post-retirement contract extension dated the 10 October 2023 effective 18 December 2023 to 17 December 2024 given to the 1st defendant by the President of the Republic of Ghana to continue in the position as Chief Executive Officer of the 2nd Defendant”.
The next is “an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 1st Defendant from acting as or holding himself out as the chief executive officer of the 2nd Defendant pending the determination of the suit and lastly, “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st Defendant from acting as or holding himself out as the Chief Executive Officer of the 2nd Defendant. The applicant also prayed the court for any further order(s) or direction(s) as this court may deem necessary.
Yaw Owusu joined the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) in June 2017. Before joining GRDA, he worked in Corporate America for 30 years in diverse industries such as Oil and Gas, High Tech, Home Appliances Manufacturing, Management Consulting, and Wall Street in various management capacities.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mathematics from Swarthmore College and an MBA in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.
He has been instrumental in the successful negotiation and management of multi-million railway development projects and contracts in his 5 years tenure as the deputy CEO in charge of operations and most recently as the CEO.
Currently, projects under his watch include the 97-kilometer Tema-Mpakadan, 97-kilometer Takoradi Port to Huni Valley, and the 70-kilometer Kumasi to Obuasi railway lines.
Yaw Owusu is married with four children.
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