Staff of the Irrigation Company of Upper East Region (ICOUR), has lamented that the refusal of the managing director, Dr. Benedict Bonaventure Aligebam to handover upon his compulsory retirement last year is a treat to lives of staff and the company at large.
The embattled managing director got retired last year December 7, 2023 and was directed to handover all the company’s logistics and and make way for a new manager, but Dr. Benedict Bonaventure refused to handover till date.
The upper East Regional minister who is the board chairman of ICOUR also gave him three months to pack and leave, but that grace period has long expired on the 7th of March 2024, but he is at post.
At a follow up press conference yesterday, 11th of March 2024, the GAWU chairman, Mr. Jibrill Adam pleaded with government to remove the Managing director of ICOUR because his continued stay in office is a threat to the lives of the staff and the company.
“It is worthy of note that ICOUR workers have already endured so much oppression and intimidation from Dr. Aligebam. He has constructively dismissed three workers, including the Internal Auditor. The warning issued by the Director General of Internal Audit Agency (IAA) of breach of the law did not stop him from doing his wish. He threatens workers with dismissal all the time, verbally abuses and suspends workers from work without due process, one time made a worker to put off naked fire using his bare feet, e.t.c. Currently, even as he is supposed to be on retirement, he is still bullying workers at will and no one can talk to him to stop. A couple of prominent people have been contacted to talk to him to work in peace with the workers, all to no avail, among others.
ICOUR needs to see accelerated growth and development after the rehabilitation. The attitude of Dr Aligebam is a hindrance to this envisioned progress. Because productivity is greatly affected under the above circumstance. Currently, all the targets enshrined in the ICOUR strategic plan have been missed or abandoned completely”
The staff are therefore appealing to the government through the Upper East Regional minister, who is the currently the board chairman, the sector ministry for Food and Agricultural, Bryan Acheampong to ask Dr Bonaventure to proceed on his retirement. “We, therefore, appeal to the chairman of ICOUR Board of Directors (BoD), Hon. Stephen Yakubu, Regional Minister of Upper East Region, to kindly convey the directive of the sector minister to Dr. Aligebam to handover, accordingly.
We also appeal to the sector minister, Dr. Bryan Acheampong (MP), to be firm on his decision. For he is right and he should stop at nothing, but the truth.
It is the hope of GAWU members that Dr. Aligebam will respect the sector minister’s directive and the rules of the company and embrace his retirement with joy. This, in our view, will preserve his image and dignity”.
The chairman of GAWU Mr. Jibril Adam also noted that the union is monitoring events and shall advise itself accordingly in the coming days, based on circumstances that shall unfold following the sector minister’s letter.
The staff of ICOUR has been battling with the management of Dr. Benedict Bonaventure since 2021 after he pulled a gun and threatened to shot a staff.
The staff who are made of General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) of the TUC addressing the press conference.
The General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trade Union Congress in 2021 made called for the immediate removal of the Upper East Region Managing Director of the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR), D?r. Benedict Bonaventure Aligebam from poffice.
GAWU members led by Chairman of the Union in the Upper East Region, Adam Jibril in 2021 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.
Source:mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya