Akufo-Addo appoints Paul Adom-Otchere as board chair of Ghana Airports Company

Paul Adom-Otchere of Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana has been appointed by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the board chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).

The seven-member GACL board also include Yaw Kwakwa, the Managing Director of the company,  Teye Adjrackor, Nominee of the President, Kwabena Mantey Jectey Nyarko, nominee of the President, Madam Philomina Sam, nominee of the President,  Francis Kofi Nunoo, Ministry of Transport and group captain Cervase Wienaa.

The Adom-Otchere-led board will be expected to spearhead the GACL to provide world-class airport facilities and services for the benefit of stakeholders and to position Ghana as the preferred aviation hub and leader in airport business in West Africa.

About GACL

Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) was established as a result of the decoupling of the existing Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in line with modern trends in the aviation industry.

The company was registered in January 2006 with specific responsibility for planning, developing, managing and maintaining all airports and aerodromes in Ghana including Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Kumasi Airport, Tamale Airport, Sunyani Airport, Ho Airport, WA Airstrip as well as various Airstrips.

GACL is an implementing agency under the Ministry of Aviation. The Company commenced business on 1st January 2007

GACL rolls out roadmap to settle staff arrears

Meanwhile, the management of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), in consultation with the Madam Oboshie Sai-Cofie’s led Board, has outlined a six-month roadmap aimed at addressing all statutory and welfare deductions of staff that have, in recent times, been the source of agitations against the company.

Management has resolved that beginning August 2021, all welfare and statutory deductions would be settled. The Welfare deductions include departmental welfare, Senior Staff, Trade Associations, Credit Associations among others. Payment of Tier 2 will commence in October 2021 over a period of six months.

Arrangements have also been concluded for the payment of SSNIT contributions from August 2021 over a period of twelve months. Further to that, PAYE payments will also begin in October 2021 for a period of twelve months.

The move is expected to bring to an end, the hostility between management and staff of the GACL.

The roadmap was arrived at following management’s meeting with the GACL Board, a decision which was subsequently communicated to workers and the Divisional Union of GACL who were present at the durbar held on Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

Commenting on the issue, Managing Director of GACL, Yaw Kwakwa, said “management of GACL will continue to deepen staff engagement at all levels on the financial status of the organization”.

He said the six-month roadmap that has been set for the payment of all outstanding statutory and welfare deductions will duly be followed and or complied with, believing that it will help restore staff confidence and improve the working relationship between staff and management.

“I take responsibility for all that is happening in the organization. The workers have every right to complain when they are going through hardship. What I don’t condone is to take the law into your hands and attack management members. We’ve worked together for some time now and I know how they feel when certain things are not going on well for them. But management is working very hard to address all their challenges. We are going to stick to our roadmap and I believe that at the end of the day, there will be all smiles and the bond that existed between management and staff will greatly be improved”, he noted.

He added: “our number one challenge had to do with the refinancing of the over US$400million asset-backed corporate loan we took to finance our capital expenditure requirements under two separate components. But like I said, we will continue to engage our workers and resolve all outstanding issues”.

Source: Daily Mail GH