The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has justified the necessity of the appointment of the Director of the Keta Port Project.

A statement, which was signed by the General Manager for Marketing and Corporate Affairs of GPHA, Esther Gyebi-Donkor, justified the appointment, yesterday.

“The immeasurable need for effective negotiations when it comes to port infrastructure development and concessions requires experienced negotiators with solid legal background to ensure value for money at all stages of the developmental process, and such expertise could not fall under any less capacity below the level of directorship within the Port Authority.”

The statement further clarified that Dr Alexander Yaw Adusei Jr was appointed as the project lead to liaise with the requisite teams to facilitate the back activities towards the implementation of the Keta project.

It further clarified that personnel are placed at the directorship level of the GPHA’s personnel grading systems to give them the assurances of authority to engage appropriately.

It praised the work so far done by the director since his appointment, in leading the negotiation team and the selection of the consultant to commence the feasibility studies of the Keta Port in June 2020.

The statement also highlighted his engagement with the chiefs and people of Keta area to ensure proper community involvement and acceptance of the project.

Beyond these, the statement also said that Dr Adusei has been engaging in other duties since joining GPHA.

It said that Dr Adusei has doubled as a member of the board of directors of the GPHA.

He also plays an additional role as a member of the negotiating contingent of the GPHA, currently handling concessions such as the Ibistek concession, Tema Dry Dock concession, the RGST concession, among others.

The statement concluded by saying that “the appointment of a Coordinating Director is an acceptable practice in both the public and Civil Service, hence one does not necessarily have to be appointed into an existing directorship position, especially when justifications have been made, requiring a person of senior managerial status with unique expertise to coordinate activities on behalf of an institution.”