Tension is mounting on a daily basis between the Board of Directors of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Ministry of Health as the former has snubbed a directive from the Ministry to discontinue payment of huge sums of money to one Board Member, Godfred Ahianyo, who doubles as Chairman of the three-member sub-committee.

Although the Ministry through a formal letter dated December 24, 2012, labeled the payment of Ghc2,900 monthly allowance/salary to Mr. Ahianyo “as a clear case of conflict of interest”, the Board under the Chairmanship of Mr. Eddie Annan has extended the disputed appointment of Mr. Ahianyo for one year with enhanced benefits.

According to the appointment letters signed by Mr. Annan, dated 13th December, 2013, Mr. Ahianyo unlike previously, is entitled “to a salary plus market premium”.

Scandal has intercepted a payment voucher for December, 2013 prejudiced and stamped on 21st January, 2014 which states that the Gross Salary of Mr. Ahianyo is Ghc9,352.17 with a net monthly income of Ghc7,341.02. The market premium alone for Mr. Ahianyo is pegged at a whopping Ghc2,997.79 which is almost the same as the allowance he was collecting last year on a monthly basis

In the lapsed appointment, Mr. Ahianyo, as Head of a Three-Member Restructuring Committee was to be treated as a Director of the Hospital with benefits such as a duty post vehicle, duty post accommodation and a monthly telephone credit of Ghc60.00.

In addition to that, Mr. Ahianyo was entitled to “any other facilities/benefits which are not stated specifically in this letter but which are enjoyed by the senior staff of the hospital under their approved conditions of service”.

What is apparently making the situation murkier is that, Mr. Ahianyo beside taking the hefty salary is also enjoying his allowances as a sitting Board Member of Korle-Bu.

Indeed, there are unconfirmed reports that the extension of Mr. Ahianyo’s appointment was approved by Mr. Annan single-handedly.

According to a source at the Hospital, Mr. Eddie Annan is virtually untouchable because “he is a known financier of the ruling National Democratic Congress and because it was the late President Mills who appointed him, it looks as if President Mahama does not want to change him now”.

“I am very surprised that the Board Chairman could defy such a directive from the Ministry to the extent of extending the supposed contract,” the worker stated further.

The Health Ministry was not enthused about the appointment and in a letter dated December 24, 2012 and signed by its Chief Director, Dr. Sylvester Anemana, the Ministry described the appointment of Mr. Ahianyo as “a clear case of conflict of interest

“Besides being a conflict of interest, were the services of Mr. Ahianyo engaged in accordance with the Procurement Act, 663? Why should the appointment be indefinite if it simply entails an audit of process? And why should conditions of service that go with a permanent appointment, such as duty post accommodation, go with such an appointment”? The Health Ministry queried the Korle-Bu Board.

“Every Board/Council has approved allowances for Board members and sub-committee work. What you provided in your letter is equivalent to emoluments of a permanent employee.”

“These administrative lapses suggest the administrative support for you and management of the hospital is either weak or is not being used in the day to day administration of the hospital".

Information trickling in from the Health Ministry indicates that there may be a crunch meeting this week between the Board of Korle-Bu and the former to iron out issues. Meanwhile, there is uneasy calm at the premier Hospital as tongues are wagging on how a head of a Committee could be treated as a permanent worker at the level of a Director.

“I am surprised the Board could approve such benefits to a Committee Chairman when even the Chief Executive of the Hospital does not take home such fat salary”, another disturbed worker at the Hospital told Scandal on Friday.