GPHA ex-workers petition Speaker Bagbin over delayed severance package
Former workers of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), led by Stephen Ashitey Adjei, has petitioned parliament over the delay in payment of their severance benefits.
In a detailed petition, the affected ex-workers numbering over 4000, urged Speaker Alban Bagbin to, as a matter of national importance, intervene to ensure speedy payment of the gratuities.
Below is the full petition to Speaker Alban Bagbin
28th January, 2025
THE RT. HON. SPEAKER
PARLIAMENT HOUSE
OSU-ACCRA
Mr. Speaker,
PLEASE ORDER GPHA TO RESPECT PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVES AND PAY GPHA EX-WORKERS
We are a group of about 4,000 GPHA ex-workers who were retrenched in 2002 without our severance benefits.
Only five (5) of the affected workers have so far been paid and since President Atta Mills and President Akufo-Addo gave directives to GPHA Management to pay the rest of us, nothing concrete has been heard.
Attached is evidence.
Mr. Speaker, according to Article 17, clause 2 of the 1992 Republican Constitution, a person shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic status.
His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama as a member of parliament for Bole Bamboi Constituency for three terms quickly received his ex-gratia at the end of each tenure of office without any litigation.
The issue of benefits due us cropped up long before Mr. John Dramani Mahama became Vice President and later President of the Republic of Ghana but because of his status as a high-profile politician, the state quickly gave him presidential ex-gratia on two separate occasions without any litigation.
Mr. Speaker, I am the leader with the mandate of the ex-workers of Takoradi and Tema Ports and when I pleaded with President John Dramani Mahama after the death of President Atta Mills to order GPHA to pay us, he ignored the petition on the advice of non God-fearing wicked lawyers who benefited from GPHA’s illegal kitchen.
Information has it that members of the 7th Parliament who worked in an air-conditioned parliament house for only 4 years took 4 billion old Ghana cedis each.
Meanwhile, the issue of severance benefits due GPHA poor ex-workers has dragged on for about 23 years.
People are dying, people are sick, marriages have broken up, children have dropped out of school, people cannot pay for rent, electricity and water bills.
People cannot put food on the table for themselves and their families. In fact, times are hard.
For how long does a person live on earth and what kind of wickedness is this? I do not want to fall into the pattern of thinking that politicians only think of themselves and do not care about the poor.
Mr. Speaker, I was baptized by the Light House Chapel International Church, you are a very good Roman Catholic with President John Dramani Mahama known to be a member of the Assemblies of God Church.
In fact, we claim to be Christians but our actions do not mirror the characteristics mentioned in the Bible.
The political class is seen in a negative light by Ghanaians and it would be a brilliant idea if your high office could please order GPHA to pay the poor ex-workers in order to redeem the image of mainstream politicians.
Hoping to hear from you soon and thank you so much for your concern. We appreciate what you did for us as a brilliant and caring Minority Leader in Parliament over 21 years ago. The spirit of Almighty God and other nature gods retained you as Speaker of the 9th Parliament to help the poor masses and Mother Ghana.
Yours truly,
…………………………..
STEPHEN ASHITEY ADJEI, alias Moshake
(Leader of GPHA Ex-Workers)
Cc: The Hardworking Minority Leader and MP for h h Effutu Constituency, Parliament House, Accra
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