As House Cleaning Begins

The Lead can report on authority that the Board of Directors for the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has terminated with immediate effect, the appointment of Mr. Yaw Kwakwa as the deputy Managing Director (DMD) of the company on the orders of President John Evans Attah Mills.

Mr. John Amedior, Head of Technical Services of the company is to take over as the new DMD to assist Mrs Dorin Owusu Fianko,the MD of the GACL run affairs at the company.

Mr.Kwakwa was appointed deputy MD in 2008. He was said to have been brought into the country from Canada by Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, former Chief of Staff under the erstwhile NPP administration and imposed on the management of the GACL as the DMD even though he lacked the expertise and necessary experience to work in such a high position.

Before his return to Ghana, Mr. Kwakwa was allegedly working in Canada as a security man and had not been in any top flight management position nor worked in the aviation industry to garner the necessary experience to work in that position.

This paper has learnt that he was given the position because of his ties with the former Chief of Staff and according to our sources, this was one of reasons the new Board, chaired by the Honourable George Kuntu Blankson, MP for Mfantsiman East decided to terminate his appointment.

The sources revealed that management, then under the directorship of Mrs. Esi Annor Sackey did not want to accommodate Mr.Kwakwa at the initial stages of his appointment because of this same issue of his lack of experience but finally made him to have direct control over security operations at the Airports. An insider on the Board of Directors told this paper that Mr.Yaw Kwakwa’s dismissal should have taken place as far back as two weeks ago when the President John Evans Attah Mills through his Chief of Staff, Martey Newman directed the Transport Minister ,Mike Hammer to terminate his appointment. But a powerful member of the Board delayed the implementation of this directive because he wanted Mr.Kwakwa to stay on at all cost.

The said Board member allegedly developed an unholy relationship with Mr.Kwakwa and during the Board’s emergency meeting a fortnight ago,(August 2,2010) this member suggested that instead of sacking the DMD ,another Deputy MD post (Deputy MD in charge of Finance and Administration) should be created for Yaw Kwakwa before the appointment of John Amedior could be confirmed.

But this suggestion was flatly rejected after another Board member sternly warned against flouting the President’s directive. The Board finally endorsed John Amedior’s elevation and subsequent removal of Yaw Kwakwa, a week ago. Meanwhile some management members who spoke to The Lead on anonymity did not hide their excitement about Mr.Kwakwa’s dismissal, describing it as “good riddance” and a chance that will bring about transformation and progress of the company as envisaged by the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

They said they had long expected the dismissal orders for the “braggart” whom was said to have bragged openly to his friends that he would soon take over as the MD from his boss, Mrs Dorin Owusu Fianko.

They said, given the competence of John Amedior, the MD, Mrs Dorin Owusu Fianko and the management will travel far in pushing forward the ‘Better Ghana Agenda of the government.

They however gave a hint of three more persons who have long been sabotaging the MD still remaining at post and it was about time they too were flashed out of the company.

When The Lead contacted the Board Chairman, Goerge Kuntu Blankson to confirm the appointment of Mr.John Amedior ,he said he had sworn an oath of secrecy and was therefore not in a position to do so. Instead he director this paper to see the Board’s secretary or the company’s management for confirmation.

The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) was established as a result of the decoupling of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in line with the modern trends in the aviation industry. The company was registered in January 2006 with the responsibility for planning, developing, managing and maintaining all airports and aerodromes in Ghana namely Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the regional airports located in Kumasi, Tamale, Sunyani as well as various airstrips. The Company commenced business on 1st January 2007.

Source: The Lead (Ghana)