The General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trade Union Congress is calling for the immediate removal of the Upper East Region Managing Director of the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR), Dr. Benedict Bonaventure Aligebam from office.
The union during a press conference on Tuesday at Tono in the Kassena-Nankana Municipal of the Upper East Region said they feel threatened working with the current MD of ICOUR, Dr. Aligebam.
Reading the statement on behalf of GAWU members Chairman of the Union in the Upper East Region Adam Jibril said the MD who is a quick-tempered person in some instances has pulled out a gun in the least provocation and threatened to shot and kill the workers.
The union also accused Dr. Aligebam of financial malfeasance and illegal sale of fertilizer under the government’s ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ policy.
GAWU is an agricultural trade union working to protect the interest of its members, both wage earners, and non-wage earners.
The General Agriculture Workers Union which has a membership of about 40 from the Tono and Vea Irrigation Dam areas says all efforts to meet the MD to find a lasting solution to their concerns have proven futile.
They are therefore calling for the immediate removal of the ICOUR MD to save the company from collapse.
But in a response to the allegations, the Managing Director of ICOUR, Dr. Benedict Bonaventure Aligebam rubbished the claims saying he does not own a pistol talk less of threatening to shot staff.
Dr. Aligebam said as MD he has enough powers to deal with any employee under him rather than resorting to threats with a gun.
Below is the press statement
General Agriculture Workers Union (G.A.W.U.) of T.U.C.
ICOUR Limited
Post Office Box 70
Navrongo
Email: gawuicourtuc@yahoo.com
27th April, 2021
PRESS CONFERENCE – TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES
MISMANAGEMENT IN ICOUR Ltd
Good Morning to you all, distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media. We the workers of ICOUR Ltd wish to welcome you to this press conference.
We have invited you here, respectfully, because of falling standards of management which we have observed in recent times. And we are strengthened by the call to all Ghanaians by the president, His Excellency Nana Addo-Dankwa Akuffo Addo, to be “Citizens Not Spectators”.
We acknowledge the support of farmers in this endeavor.
As you may be aware already this company is undergoing rehabilitation and modernization of it’s structures and systems after almost four (4) decades of it’s establishment. The government of Ghana is investing about 30 million US Dollars with a vision to revamp ICOUR.
However recent actions of management show that the original vision for ICOUR transformation is being fast lost. The modus operandi of the Managing Director (MD), especially, is to a large extent perpetrating gross abuse of power, dictatorship, self-centeredness and thwarting government’s effort.
All efforts by the Local Union, General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), to engage in constructive dialogue with the MD proved futile. Question is, why is the MD always shying away from explaining his actions in order to get everyone on board.
The following are our concerns:
- The illegal sale of subsidy fertilizer under the Planting for Food & Jobs (PFJ) to Tono farmers at a cut-throat market price contrary to government approved price. This came to light during the visit of the Parliamentary select committee on Agriculture to the Tono and Vea schemes in September, 2020. The farmers were exploited with impunity by the Managing Director (MD) to enrich himself. And the farmers who raised this as a concern during a discussion session with the Parliamentarians have been targeted by the MD with all kinds of tactics. What is worse is that the whole transaction was shrouded in secrecy i.e hidden from company records.
Government of Ghana’s effort to improve the life of the farmer by providing subsidy is thwarted by the MD seeking to enrich himself with profits thereof at the blind side of the company he represents and the BoD.
He also lied to the Parliamentarians that he just assumed office in July 2020 when in in fact he assumed office on July 11, 2019. Based on this misinformation the Select Committee took the opportunity to advise him openly to settle down and learn the operations of the company when it became so clear to them that he lacked knowledge and understanding of the relevant issues. Unfortunately, what they did not know is that he feels “he-knows-all”. He feels too qualified to learn from anyone. So, the strategy is to intimidate workers to make up for his shortcomings.
We call on the Economic & Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to investigate the fertilizer deal.
- Threat with gun on workers: – The MD is noted for open proclamation of his gun ownership before workers. His inability to control his anger whiles dealing with your workers is also very well-known and scary. He easily gets intensely angry over ordinary things on a daily basis leading him to want to crush the worker involved without any regard to laid down structures. This is very scary owing to the enormous power of the MD over all workers. Workers do not feel safe working under this MD knowing his uncontrollable temper. With this attitude the ability to lead his team peacefully is impaired.
- The MD’s closure of the Internal Audit unit of the company contrary to all recommendations under the ICOUR transformation. It appears this is being done at the blind side of the Board of Directors (BoD). It is also against the law i.e Section 16(1) and 16(5a) of Internal Audit Agency Act (ACT 658) 2003 and also Section 83(1) of Public Financial Management Act (ACT 921) 2016, which states respectively that “there shall be established an internal audit unit in an entity which shall constitute a part of that entity. And autonomous bodies of the constitution shall be subject to the standards and procedures of the Internal Audit Agency and shall have internal audit units”. The Internal Auditor has been re-assigned as “Business Development Officer (BDO)”, an arbitrary position created to achieve his hidden agenda.
If there is nothing to hide why is the MD so uncomfortable with the existence of the Internal Audit Unit, which has existed since the inception of the company.
- Molestation of the worker through suspensions, Queries, Harassments, warnings, commanding workers to run, intimidation, threats of “using pen and paper” to make life miserable for the affected worker, e.t.c. These are managerial tools employed here now by the MD. Workers no longer have peace and do not feel safe doing their work without looking over their shoulders for what their MD is planning to do to them next.
Retained workers are the main target of victimization. There is a grand scheme by the MD to lay off some retained workers. The 2015 retrenchment of 107 workers was meant to be a one-off exercise under the on-going Restructuring/Rehabilitation and modernization of ICOUR. This was confirmed by the consultant of Continental Consult during a Q & A session with the workers.
The company has just recruited eleven (11) new workers, under the GIMPA recommendation, to re-enforce its manpower needs. Therefore, the manipulations by the MD to smuggle other people in and push out workers with critical skills, under the guise of implementing the Continental report, will be resisted fiercely by workers using all legitimate means.
- Recent Resignations of critical human resource affecting the company. The most dangerous thing now is that the MD is harassing and intimidating retained and experienced workers to resign or be sacked. Whilst some retained workers will be retiring next year others are being threatened with retrenchment with only a few being re-assigned.
Actions of the MD are arbitrary and not backed by any report, recommendation or roadmap under the current restructuring. In fact, the actions contradict the original policies and principles of the restructuring exercise. For example, why will the company sponsor a worker to India to learn a system the company wishes to adapt and turn around to order the worker to resign or be fired, even before the system actually begins operation.
The said worker was disgruntled because a report the MD claimed to be implementing recommended him (the worker) for a position after staff skills assessment which the MD denied him. Another person was recruited to take the job and to be his boss even though they both qualify. At the same time other workers are being forced to accept job-reassignment onto a structure which is non-existent.
It is worthy of note that the above resignation is the second in less than two years, and the third threat to a worker to resign or be fired, under the current MD. This latest one leaves the company with no experienced Field Extension worker in Tono Scheme. The only Technical officer in Vea is also being threatened with retrenchment.
- Financial Irresponsibility: – The mindset of the MD of having such sweeping powers to spend from the company coffers at will without being answerable to any one is dangerous and must not be entertained. Using bank counter cheques for frivolous expenditures and frequent purchase of Mobile Phones is irresponsible. The vision of the transformed ICOUR to become self-sustaining and ultimately wean itself off government support cannot be met if this continues. And we cannot afford to stand by and watch this happen to the detriment of our future and that of the company.
Lavish spending on his house and his personal comfort whiles ignoring the housing needs of newly recruited workers. He rather insists they should use their personal resources to renovate houses allocated to them.
- Again, without any engagement with the communities, the MD engaged in land snatching at Zone B in the Bonia community, giving orders for land owned by the communities to be tilled for him. Clearly this is against established practice on the Tono scheme. Fierce resistance mounted by the farmers nearly ended in a scuffle but for the MD’s earlier planned journey to Accra that week end which saved the situation.
This unilateral action has damaged the usual cordial relationship between the company and the farmers. Which manifested itself shortly after wards when company security man was attacked on duty with a gun and beaten mercilessly leading to his hospitalization. This has not happened before even though we shut the dam when we have to. Not even when we seize pumping machines from farmers who operate against our rules.
Even the company’s housing tenants are not spared the MD’s wrath.
- Neglecting to follow established transparency protocol during an auction. The convention has been to form a committee whose membership include the head of Security, Internal Auditor, Workshop Engineer, GAWU and Accounts representation, to oversee the auction on the day. This, among others, is to ensure transparency and to ensure that other items not listed for auction are protected.
Indeed, before the auction day proper items were seen being carried away from the site without any oversight. You dare not speak because you will be dealt with for “indiscipline” by the MD himself.
The workers were not given any opportunity to purchase anything as was done in the past. The convention has always been to grant concession to workers nearing retirement to purchase something to aid them in retirement. The MD was rather busy grabbing auction items himself.
- The MD has also engaged in approving several expenditures even before he was confirmed as the MD. He approved the expenditure and took the money himself to pay allowances of members of the panel that was to interview him for the position, in which he was the sole candidate. Just like many others, this payment too has not been retired since he took office. Hence, there is no evidence that the money was received by the target people and in the specified amounts.
- The MD has taken over procurement duties. Decisions involving procurement are taken unilaterally. Procurement laws are disregarded with impunity. This has not been the practice in the past in this company.
- Unnecessary Protocol Expenditures as a means of Defrauding the company and Profiteering on the company by profligate spending on travels, Medical expenditure refunds etc. Exceeding Travel limits and qualifying criteria set for payment of night allowance on travels. Frivolous, self-serving expenditure are incurred in the name of operational expenditure without accountability. It appears the MD is in such a hurry to be rich by all means possible.
- Giving away company resources at will to anyone without bases. Example, granting fuel allocations to numerous non-ICOUR workers regularly whiles denying workers fuel required for day-to-day operational use.
- The MD’s unilateral decision to take off company logo on his (MD) official vehicle is unprecedented in the history of the company. The motive behind this is unknown. Past managers felt proud and confident to drive in company officially branded vehicle. It is a company policy and legal requirement for all company vehicles to bear the Logo.
- Managerial Incompetence-: Among other things, the office holder is required to have a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in irrigation or operational environment with five (5) years at top management position. Additionally, the Manager must have strong leadership, mentoring, coaching and interpersonal skills in team setting including Strong negotiation and conflict management skills.
Transparency, openness, communication, dialogue and team building are also key to the success of any manager. In our case the MD doesn’t think anyone below his level deserves any respect. He talks everybody down and kills initiative and does not inspire confidence.
- Lack of clear vision of the MD: – The necessary conditions for ICOUR’s smooth take-off as recommended including Vea Scheme rehabilitation, review of the ownership structure of the company, machinery required etc have not been met. Yet the workers are being bullied to accept arbitrary decisions that are scattered in various documents giving the MD wide room to entrench his terror on workers.
Since he took office, everything he and came met has remained either the same or worse. Facilities handed over to him are still standing idle or without any improvement(s) i.e Guest houses, Club House, Silos, ICOUR Houses etc. As for the new building and vehicles they were fixed before he took office.
Staff welfare has been relegated to the background or worse still forgotten. Eleven years of stagnation, no succession plan, no promotions, low salaries and general economic hardships. And instead of making effort to improve working conditions the MD’s actions seek to worsen the plight of the poor worker.
In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen of the media, it is clear from the foregoing that the current MD, Dr Benedict Bonaventure Aligebam, does not appear to have a lot of these qualities. We therefore demand that he be REMOVED for lack of knowledge and managerial competence to resolve ordinary operational issues resulting in conflicts with all key stakeholders he is supposed to be working with. This will SAVE the company from collapse.
In this regard, therefore, we recommend that any future MD must undergo competitive selection interview as required, where critical questions about the job will be asked to ensure the best person with the good understanding of the requirements of the job is selected. The selected person has the right composure and temperament to lead the team and to manage the resources of the company judiciously and selflessly.
Finally, workers do not feel safe working under this MD any more knowing his uncontrollable temper and his history of threats with gun.
WE ARE ONLY BEING CITIZENS, NOT SPECTATORS.
We thank you very much for honoring our invitation and granting us audience.
Sign
……………………….
ADAM JIBRIL
CHAIRMAN
0246411772
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Ghana
His cup is full, how far can you push people? this man is grossly incompetent, self servient and irresponsible.
wicked man.