General News of Saturday, 11 February 2017

Source: Kofi Poku, Freelance JournalistÂ

NACOB Staff Angry at Akrasi-Sarpong

Some staff of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) mainly senior and middle level as well as former officers are angry at their former boss Yaw Akrasi-Sarpong for his continues interference in the affairs of the organisation after his exist last year.

According to them, they are not happy with his disingenuous campaign which he has weighed against the staff and the institution at large.
These, they mentioned as discrediting staff members to some Embassies and High Commissions to carefully scrutinise before visas are issued to staffs of NACOB who applied to secure a visa to travel for his or her personal or official program.

They also accused Mr Akrasi-Sarpong of masterminding and lobbying for his favourite known Francis Kofi Torkoonoo whom he wrongfully handed over to last year at a weekend without a staff gathering when he was retiring, a decision which was later reversed by the office of the President through the Ministry for the Interior.

"This man handed over to an unqualified officer who is indeed a novice and knows nothing about management with his personal relationship been very bad and always resorted to intimidation of officers he seems to have problem with. A regional commander narrated.
No wonder staff members jubilated when he ( Torkoonoo) was removed when Akrasi wrongfully handed over to him knowing very well that there was a senior officer, a Deputy Executive Secretary Richard Nii Lante Blankson was still at post.Â
A female senior staff who claimed to have suffered bitterly in the hands of Akrasi-Sarpong with name withheld chastised him for his autocratic and nepotism leadership lifestyle throughout his tenure, saying he was indeed a bad leader and never should NACOB have such a leader of his kind again.

She added that Akrasi-Sarpong through his time misused the institution's resources for his personal gains such as to acquire his law degree and later to the law school to the detriment of the meagre subversion allocated for the running of NACOB.

"We are aware that he is a friend to Hon Ambrose Dery and riding on that lobby him to ensure that an incompetent and arrogant man (Francis Torkoonoo) is given the nod to cover up the numerous rot that he perpetrated, since we will resist any move to heed to Akrasi's demands by the Minister". She added.
A Junior staff who gave his name as Sam appealed to the President to ensure that an experienced person is appointed to stir the affairs of NACOB since a lot of corrupt deeds have been perpetrated by Akrasi and his boys especially with the auctioning of the seized cars, the purchasing of the CCTV Cameras and other illegal payments made to some MPs when the Narcotics Commission Bill was laid and read before Parliament where MPs could walked into the quarters of NACOB to collect chop money to the tune of Five Thousand Cedis  ( 5,000), a move which all went waste when Parliament failed to pass the bill into law.

He also urged the government to investigate all the purported allegations and ensure that he is brought to the law if found culpable.

Mr. Akwasi, a former staff now based in the United States also advised the current Minister to be careful with Mr. Akrasi-Sarpong's advancement to him even though it is well known to all staff of NACOB to be his good friend, since he may lead him to destruction and shame.

I am not surprised at Mr Sarpong since throughout his tenure neither did we know he was doing the bid for the then opposition NPP, no wonder he once confirmed t o us not vote for former President John Mahama prior to the 2016 elections.
It was clear NACOB had no future during his tenure which he ruled with only one person known as Francis Torkoonoo who become power drunk and used his position to intimidate and cause disaffection among staff who were not from his tribe and his favourite.

"I was forced to resigned due to their (Akrasi and Torkoonoo's) bad leadership lifestyle since nothing was going on at NACOB, no morale and recognition from him and always was swift to criticise and punish officers for mistakes but fails to acknowledge and promote officers who perform well in the course of their official duties."
Another officer who was once a commander at one of the country's busiest point of entry known as Joel lamented over the bad leadership lifestyle of Akrasi-Sarpong and Torkoonoo, saying that it will be a recipe for disaster if any move is made to reassign to head NACOB according to the dictates of Akrasi-Sarpong.Â
We are all aware of the numerous attempts by Akrasi-Sarpong to make sure that his favourite is placed to cover up his dubious deeds during his stay at NACOB.
Why must all the security agencies are receiving their 'table top' at every 15th of the month but these men led by Akrasi and Torkoonoo went to cancel that of NACOB for a reason best known to them and will call on the President to ensure that the table top is immediately brought back to ease officers from the hardships they go through every month.

In fact NACOB will collapse if an attempt is made to appoint or reassign Francis Torkoonoo to head NACOB at the wish and satisfaction of Akrasi-Sarpong since he has nothing better to offer to staff, he added.