A renowned lawyer and activist, Martin Kpebu has called out the management of Nasiba’s company for sacking her 48 hours after she joined the #OccupyJubileeHouseProtest.
According to Martin Kpebu, the management of the company acted childishly.
He urged the public to call out the company to deter other companies from such conduct.
“The company has to pay for this. Look, let me tell you, I’m being charitable by saying that the management acted childish. That’s very childish. You can’t do so proximate to the demonstration. It can’t happen, not for anything under this sun. Even if she stole, I’m saying the management is so childish. Please, look we have to be very hard on them because if we don’t, we’ll be giving other companies an incentive.”
Martin Kpebu
Martin Kpebu also commended Ms. Bawa for her bold decision to speak out and grant an interview even after the incident.
“The fact that she’s granted an interview, it’s not bad at all. It’s commendable and you know, I like what she said. By granting the interview she said a lot that she hasn’t said expressly. You see, because the most important fact that she’s given is having been terminated within 48 hours after the demonstration. So the rest is left for us to deduce.
“So to speak, for me, I think that just speaking, you see, it’s not everything that has been said expressly, she’s done well..”
Martin Kpebu
He cited an instance where a demonstrator who worked with the government was also victimized after a demonstration.
“This is not the first time. Look, when we did that “Kume Preko” reloaded demonstration last November, that’s what they did to one of our organizers. the guy who works in one of the Ministries. He was kicked out of that place because they said they’re making the government unpopular. This has been going on.”
Martin Kpebu
He further referenced the labor law and indicated that Ms. Bawa has the right and chance to sue her employer to justify the termination. He believes further investigations might even show that the company was in bed with the government which instigated the termination.
“I have been looking at the labor law … another way of analyzing it now, let’s look at, it is either the management is excessively benefiting from the sole sourcing contract this government is engaged in and looting us left, right, center or they are just die-hards, who may not even be benefiting from contracts, etc.”
Martin Kpebu
Kpebu Advocates For Public To Call Out Nasiba’s Company
Mr. Kpebu further requested that the name of the company should be made known to the public so it is called out by the masses. For him, publicly naming and shaming companies is an alternative means of dealing with disputes outside the courts, which may sometimes be too expensive.
“You have to go under and bring out the name of the company”, Mr. Kpebu insisted.
Meanwhile, many lawyers have publicly offered Ms Bawa pro-bono representation should she decide to pursue the case in court.
Nasiba Bawa went viral after an interview at the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest.
In the video, she bemoaned Ghana’s ineffective healthcare system narrating the loss of the life of a 24-year-old patient as a result of the inability to afford dialysis treatment. Her rant made dialysis a national issue which has since seen the reversal of a price hike in the cost of dialysis.
Nasiba Bawa did not draw a direct link between the protest and her termination. She however believes there is always a price to pay for speaking out.
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