VRA Owes Brobbey No Reliefs: VRA Official Website
Joseph Nii Torgbor Annan, a Principal Administration Officer at the Human Resource Department of the Volta River Authority has stated that Charles Wereko Brobbey is not entitled to reliefs he is seeking from the court except his earned leave. According to him, as far as VRA is concerned, Dr Brobbey resigned on his own volition without giving any notice to the Authority, contrary to the six month maximum notice or in default six months salary demanded by the VRA. Mr Annan indicated that he was working with the VRA when Dr Brobbey was appointed as Chairman of the Board and later on CEO. He said he saw the appointment letter of Dr Brobbey and apart from the stated salary he is entitled to all general condition of senior staff. He said Dr Brobbey's appointment as CEO took effect from September, 2001 but he stepped aside on May 2003 when a Committee was formed to investigate certain wage issues at the Authority and has since then not resumed work. He said although his appointment was in consonance with the laws of the VRA, his resignation that he addressed to the President was not. Mr Annan explained that all Board members of the VRA are appointed by the President, except the CEO who the President only nominates and the Board appoints. He said as a result, Dr Brobbey's resignation letter should have been addressed to the Board and not the President. He said the Authority therefore has officially not received any resignation letter from Dr Brobbey. He pointed out that by senior staff condition of service if a person absents himself for 10 days he is summarily dismissed. Mr Annan told the court that even assuming Dr Brobbey addressed the letter to the Authority, he did not give any notice as required but indicated that his resignation takes effects immediately. He said Dr Brobbey is not entitled to his official vehicle and other claims. He said the conditions being sought by Dr Brobbey are normally offered to CEO's whose appointments are terminated by the Authority. Mr Annan further rejected Dr Brobbey's claim that Amissah Arthur, Gilbert Kiu Dotsi and Kalitse resigned and were given similar entitlement. He explained that Amissah Arthur did not resign from the VRA but his separation was termed redundant. He said Mr Arthur was not given his official vehicle which was 2 years old but rather a former old vehicle he had used which was over 4 years. Concerning Dotsi, Mr Annan said his contract appointment was terminated when Wereko Brobbey was Board Chairman and it was after that he assumed the position of CEO. Mr Kalitsi, he indicated, retired after almost 40 years service to the Authority. According to Mr Annan, there is no way Dr Brobbey could compare his barely two years service to the Authority to that of the three. He rejected Mr Brobbey's assertion that his performance at VRA was exemplary, due to the “chaos VRA turned to in his era". He said Dr Brobbey overstayed in his official residence and when moving, took the furniture, deep freezers, fridges, cutlery and plates he owed no title to. Dr Brobbey is demanding payment ofGH¢220,000 being his entitlements from the VRA. He is asking for interest on the money from April 2004 and also an order to be issued to the VRA to transfer to him ownership of a Volvo saloon car, with registration number GW 2505 T, which was officially assigned to him when he was appointed CEO of the VRA. In his statement of claim, Dr Wereko Brobbey said he got separated from the VRA on September 17, 2003 but it took the VRA a considerable time, amid demands from him, before it eventually wrote to him on April, 2004 to formally notify him of the separation entitlements. . He said in that letter, cash equivalent of 43 days' earned leave up to the time of the resignation, totalling GH¢6100 six months' salary in the sum of G H¢18,700, gratuity of five years' salary of GH¢180,000 being the cedi equivalent of fuel allocation from March 31, 2004, and transfer of ownership of the saloon car which was in his possession were discussed. The case was adjourned to February 25 for further cross examination.
Source: MJFM
