Award-winning journalist, Johnny Hughes, has stated that individuals responsible for the shutdown of the Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO) must be held accountable for the financial losses that may be incurred as a result of the shutdown of the company.
According to him, some individuals called for the company to be shut down due to the agitation and grievances expressed by workers after they failed to receive even half of the percentage of money they were promised.
“They went into a meeting and you agreed to give them 21% instead of 67% that they were asking for, you’re not even giving them half. Whoever ordered for it, I’m sounding a warning and a notice, they must be held accountable for causing financial loss to the state.”
Johnny Hughes
He said that on October 31st 2022, the workers were idle and were not working as they were supposed to, and their demand was that the retirees should be laid off. He added that the workers mentioned some people who occupied certain positions in the company were old and needed to go.
“If you don’t go home, I’ll start showing your pictures, because it is not fair…and the interesting thing is that the workers say that you retire today then the next morning, you’re there. What is the succession plan for our state-owned enterprises?”
Johnny Hughes
Johnny noted that most of the state-owned enterprises in Ghana are declaring losses even though VALCO is an exception.
Members And Management Of VALCO Should Calm Down
Former MP of the Tema East Constituency, Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, stated that the members and management of VALCO should calm down and come together to negotiate and find solutions to the problem.
He said that they needed ‘cool heads’ in these times and the closure of a port line and its reopening costs a lot of money in dollars. He therefore, urged the management to come together with the workers in order to create a calm atmosphere.
“From the videos that were sent to me, the military and the police are at the factory, with the workers in red arm bands. They should take off the red bands, let’s come together and find out the solution to this problem.”
Nii Kwartei Titus Glover
He talked about the short distance between VALCO and a refinery at Tema, indicating that, all residents who lived around that particular area were going to be evacuated from that area and he did not understand why this should be so.
“I don’t know what is happening; EPA, the former Chief Executive of TMA, what went into this? I have made up my mind, that very soon, I’ll take this matter up myself and start speaking on it.”
Nii Kwartei Titus Glover
VALCO is one of the oldest state-owned enterprises that was established by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, which specializes in the production of aluminum. It is said to be one of the profit-earning state- owned enterprises in the country, but it may start incurring losses due to its closure and the ongoing strike by the workers of the company.
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