The Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited (Ghana Telecom), has bared its teeth in response to the refusal of the Malaysian Managing Director (MD), to hand over to it as directed by the government.

Chaired by Mr Dickson Oduro-Nyanig, Chief Network Officer, the IMC has directed that no staff should report to Dato Abdul Malik Mohammed, the former MD, or any of the five remaining Malaysian management members. The five are Mr Muinnuddin Mohammed, Chief Marketing Officer, Mr Rosli Saran, Chief Strategy Officer, Mr Mohd Yussof Mohd Ali, Senior General Manager (QMSS), Mr Ab Rahim Saleh, General Manager, Mobile Operations and Mr Safian Md Yassin, Manager, Mobile Billing.

The IMC has also directed that no worker should take any instructions from the Malaysians. On Friday, it summoned all the regional directors of the company to a meeting at the headquarters to sensitise them their obligations to the company and to discuss the way forward. These revelations came to light during investigations by the ‘Times’ to ascertain the situation at the company after rumours that the MD and his colleagues had refused the government’s order to hand over to the IMC.

In the follow-up interview with the IMC chairman and Mr Johnnie Tetteh-Addy, Head of Corporate Communications, they confirmed the IMC’s directive. According to them, the instruction was issued last Monday after the IMC met with the MD to among other things, remind him of the government’s directive after he continued to stay at post in contravention of the order. They said that the meeting became necessary when it appeared that, “two paralled administrations were in place and schedule officers became confused as to which of the two they should report to”.

According to them, the MD’s action had led to key issues remaining in trags, unattended to. Throwing more light on the formation of the IMC, they said the decision was prompted by four main factors. They included the unfair situation where the Malaysians, with only 30 per cent share in Ghana Telecom, constituted the management.

Secondly, despite their minority stake in the company, they had majority representation on the board. Thirdly, the Malaysians did not inject any capital and transferred technology into the operations of the company, contrary to their promise and as part of the agreement with the government.