There is currently tension at the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) following a decision by management to divert an already awarded contract to another company which involves implementation of disinfection prevention measures at the Airports of Ghana

The GACL led by its Managing Director, Mr. Yaw Kwakwa, which is to give clearance for LCB Worldwide Limited to disinfect KIA as per a Service Agreement the company has with the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service, ignored the agreement and allegedly diverted the contract to another company.

LCB Worldwide Ghana, a Ghanaian Company signed a Service Agreement with MOH and GHS on 23.06.2017 to mandatorily disinfect the exteriors of vehicles, cargo, containers, conveyances, goods or postal parcels that enter and exit the ports of Tema and Takoradi.

Currently, the disinfection facilities are fully operational at both ports.

Meanwhile, the Disinfection Agreement also includes cargo and air passenger luggage at KIA at the emergence of the novel Coronavirus.

In view of this, the company in a letter dated January 31, 2020 to GACL, the company acknowledged the close cooperation it had with GACL on their project such as the joint survey that was conducted with Ghana Health Service regarding the implementation of disinfection of cargo and traveller’s luggage at the Kotoka International Airport.

The company noted that in the light of the recent developments concerning the announcement by World Health Organisation declaring COVID-2019 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, is will be proper to implement their service immediately to disinfect cargo and air passenger luggage at KIA.

“We would like to assure you that the manual disinfection procedures nor the installation and operation of our equipment, will not impede nor disrupt the current mode and flow of the airport’s operation,” LCB stated in its letter.

According to LCB Worldwide limited, it was going to carry out the disinfection of KIA for free and at no cost to management of the Airport.

It is however an established fact that LCB Worldwide, with its proprietary International passenger luggage and cargo Disinfection System will contribute towards the efforts of governments to ensure that their points of entry are maintained in a sanitary condition and are kept free of sources of infection or contamination.

The company also gave the assurance that their proposal will be beneficial to the wellbeing of the population, their safety and the international perception of the bio security of the country.

In a letter dated February 18, 2020 and signed by GACL MD, Mr. Yaw Kwakwa acknowledging the receipt of LCB’s letter requesting to disinfect KIA, he said the board is aware of the development concerning the announcement by WHO on the novel Coronavirus as public health emergency of international concern and had approved in principle LCB’s efforts to disinfect cargo and air passenger luggage at KIA.

The board and management by the letter requested for a meeting with LCB to discuss the challenge of passing the cost to passengers.

But, although the MD for GACL, Mr. Yaw Kwakwa stated in his letter that the board had approved in principle LCB’s efforts to disinfect cargo and air passenger luggage at KIA, the GACL failed to create room for the company to take off.

However, as the company, LCB awaits the clearance from GACL to enable it carry out the exercise, another company was seen disinfecting KIA, in total disregard to the service agreement LCB has with GHS and MOH.

This paper has established for a fact that as far back as, May 17, 2019, the Ministry of Health (MOH) wrote to the Ghana Airport Company (GACL) advising it to give clearance and create room for LCB to implement it’s services at KIA, but all that fell on deaf ears as many believe, the GACL’s refusal was to allow it divert the contract to another company, which has no service agreement with MOH and GHS and has no experience in cargo and air passenger luggage disinfection.

The action by GACL, according to airport users clearly demonstrates their intent to sabotage LCB for their own personal gains to the detriment of government and the people of Ghana