VRA staff up in arms against management ..over vogue retirement contract

There is anger seething at the Volta River Authority (VRA) over the appointment of one Dr (Mrs.) Irene Stella Agyenim-Boateng, as an Advisor, Office of the Chief Executive, after attaining the compulsory retirement age of 60 years on June 4, 2022.

She had retired as Deputy Chief Executive (Services) but the powers that got her into VRA, have refused to let her go and had instead made her an advisor to the VRA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, without stating how long she is to remain in the institution.

This means, she remains in office forever, although, some people in similar situations have been dispatched with the speed of light.

It comes at a time, VRA is mentioned to be financially distressed with management expected to be prudent with expenditure, but this is the current case.

The Herald is in possession of a joint protest letter authored and signed by the VRA Senior Staff Association and Energy Workers Association in which 18 of them registered concerns and objection to the appointment of Dr Agyenim-Boateng, because “the position of Advisor is not a defined position on the organizational chart of the Authority.

Interestingly, the VRA boss, who is supposed to proceed on retirement too, but reported to be lobbying for a government contract to stay on, has since merged Corporate Affairs and External Relations Unit and Corporate Social Responsibility Unit, and appointed Dr Agyenim-Boateng as its head, despite acting as an advisor.

Dr Agyenim-Boateng, is said to have had stints with the Ghana Telecom then to VODAFONE Ghana Limited then to GLICO Insurance before joining “the Volta River Authority as Director, Human Resources in November, 2018. Following the retirement of the then DCE (S), Ing. Kofi Ellis, an astute engineer in June 2020”.

The protest letter mentioned that “Dr (Mrs.) 1. Stella Agyenim-Boateng was appointed as DCE (S) without any competitive interview” and the favoritism is continuing unabated.

The VRA boss, had in a circular dated May 25, 2022 in which he announced “appointment of advisor, office of the chief executive”.
It read “It is announced for the information of all staff that Dr. (Mrs) I. Stella Agyenim-Boateng has been appointed Advisor, Office of the Chief Executive.

“Her appointment takes effect from June 6, 2022, adding “I trust that all staff will give Dr. (Mrs) I. Stella Agyenim-Boateng the needed support and co-operation in the discharge of her new responsibilities” failing to indicate how long she will be serving in that capacity.

The protest letter copied the Chairman of the VRA Board, Kofi Tutu Agyaye, Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, said that majority of staff, had been “praying fervently for her to retire and leave the Authority in peace, but to our utmost surprise, she has been appointed the position of Advisor to the CE, effective June 6, 2022.

According to them “we have managed to work with the outdone DCE (S) during her active service and can no longer work with her as an “Advisor” while she is on retirement”, in this regard, they want “the Chief Executive ensures that she is relieved of her post as Advisor to go home and enjoy her retirement honourably”.

“The concerns and objection of the Staff Groups about the appointment of Dr. Agyenim-Boateng as Advisor to the Office of the VRA CEO are that “the appointment flouts the Government’s directive to all heads of Public Sector institutions not to extend or give contract appointment to retirees”.

The petition mentioned that, “Ing. Kofi Ellis DCE (S) and Ing. Emmanuel Osafo, DCE (Engineering & Operations), both astute Engineers who were endowed and equipped with high level of strategic know how and over 30 years of rich institutional memory, were not given any opportunity to continue serving the Authority after their compulsory retirement in June 2020 and January 2022 respectively. Just as these professional management staff were made to retire when their time was due, we find it incongruous for her to be given a contract appointment as an Advisor to the Chief Executive and respectfully request that Dr. (Mrs.) I. Stella Agyenim-Boateng should be made to go home honourably.

“The position of Advisor is not a defined position on the organizational chart of the Authority. The appointment of a retired DCE as an Advisor among many others already at post, would lead to such an appointee receiving and enjoying emoluments of a DCE. For a company with cash flow challenges coupled with dwindling market shares and therefore pursuing sustainability strategy, we think that this cost is absolutely unnecessary and avoidable.

“Per the executive circular dated May 24. 2022 (copy of circular attached) announcing the appointment, there is no end date to the appointment. Therefore, it is not clear to staff when the appointment will end.

“According to a memo dated June 6, 2022 from the Chief Executive to the Corporate Affairs & External Relations staff, the Advisor shall have oversight responsibility of the Corporate Affairs & External Relations Unit and its activities. Per the Authority’s history, the head(s) of the CA &ER Unit has/have always reported to the Chief Executive. Since the Advisor retired as a Deputy Chief Executive, there is the possibilities that she could still be on the remuneration of a DCE. This arrangement could lead to the creation of a deputy position in disguise. This cost in our view is unnecessary and avoidable.

“For a country that is struggling with high unemployment of the youth, we are of the view that the resources to be ex pended on a retired person could be used to engage the services of some brilliant and energetic unemployed youths.

“The CE is a professional Engineer with over 30 years working experience with VRA, knows more about the V RA strategy, culture, policies, processes and practices and has over the course of his tenure (2017 to date) as C E, distinguished himself on least cost strategy and managed the company successfully without the services of a retiree “Advisor”.

“Per the Authority’ s institutional structure, the CE has the DCE (Engineering & Operations), DCE (Finance) and the DCE (Services) to advise him on engineering, financial and non-power activities. There are many Directors in the Authority who are also expected to advise the CE on matters relating to their areas of operations.

“The “Advisor” position as has been created requires that a new office space be created, furnished and staffed with the needed human resources within the financial constraints already facing the Authority. This is likely to lead the Authority incurring avoidable cost or losing revenue that could leave been earned from rental of some of its office spaces.

“Dr (Mrs.) I. Stella Agyenim-Boating’s tenure of office as DCE (Services) has been characterized by Continuous breach of staff Conditions of Service in the recruitment of personnel.

“For example. even though the Appendix to Article I (page 47) of the 2015 Volta River Authority Condition of service for the Senior Staff and Article 4 (page 7) of the 2015 Volta River Authority Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA ) for the Unionized Staff clearly states that “The Authority shall follow a policy of encumbering vacancies and newly established positions by the promotion of serving personnel and outside recruitment shall be made only when no candidates within the Authority’s Organization are adjudged suitable”, a number of: Vacant supervisory and managerial positions have been encumbered with external personne1 contrary to the above provision thereby denying competent internal staff the opportunity to progress into those Supervisory or Managerial positions.

“External personnel have been recruited where the adverts for those positions where done only internally in breach of the Staff Conditions of Service which is a huge source of worry to Staff Groups.

“Recruitments have been made where allegedly no personnel requisitions were raised by departments suggesting that services of such staff are not needed in the Authority.

“These recruitments have created division, acrimony, disengagement and disillusionment among staff. A lot of staff depart office right after 4pm and are no long willing to put that extra effort for the good of the Authority.

“Increase in the award of contract appointments to retired Management Staff denying competent internal staff the opportunity to progress into those Supervisory or Management positions. There are currently at least four (4) retired Management personnel who have been given contract appointments, a major source of worry to staff.
“Lack of a clear strategic vision and direction for Human Resource development and Succession Planning. The appointment of retired persons to continue occupying strategic positions in the Authority signifies a marked failure on the part of the Human Resources Department directly under the supervision of the DCE(S) to put in place adequate Succession Planning strategies and effective implementation of the Authority’s Scheme of Service for staff over the last few years. It will be very odd to offer same, a contract while on retirement to fix what she could not fix during her tenure in office.

“Surreptitiously reviewing existing HR policies in ways that make them inconsistent with Staff Conditions of Service.

“Subtle attempt at bringing back the practice of awarding contract appointment to new employees after Management abolished the practice in 2019 and converted all such appointments into permanent appointments.

“Failure to adhere to the advice of the National Labour Commission to comply with the provisions in the VRA Staff Conditions of Service in the recruitment of personnel.

“Based on the reasons advanced above, we believe that this appointment would not create any added value to the Authority.