The Interim Management Committee set up to handle affairs at Ghana Telecom is now firmly in place. The Malaysian staff including former Managing Director whose term expired last April have packed out, and left the 3-man committee to manage the company. Secretaries to the Malaysian staff who were asked to go home in the attempt to push away the Malaysians have still not been called.

Under instructions from government the e-mails of the Malaysians were also blocked. They have however been allowed to use their drivers till now, but sources say they would also be withdrawn soon.

The three men who are now in charge including Mr. Oduro Nyani- Chief Network Officer and Awuah Boateng- Chief Finance Officer have the support of majority of the staff. Government’s unilateral decision to appoint an IMC without recourse to the Class B shareholder G-COM has also raised questions about its adherence to the rule of law and respect for the country’s company code.

Post Malaysia Trip New MD for Ghana Telecom

Following the president’s trip to Malaysia, G-Com, the class “B” shareholder of Ghana Telecom comprising Telekom Malaysia(TM) and a group of Ghanaian investors, has nominated a new Managing Director for Ghana Telecom (GT). In fact, they will be writing to class “A” shareholder, the Government of Ghana to that effect. He is Dr David N Abdulai.

This is in accordance with the Stock Purchase and Sale Agreement of December 1996. G-Com has also proposed that former Managing Director “Dato” Abdul Malek Mohamed be allowed to help ensure a smooth handing over upon the completion of the sale of G-Com shares to the Government of Ghana. Our sources in Malaysia say the new position could be the outcome of hours of intense deliberation between President Kuffour, his entourage and officials of TM in Langakawi Malaysia.

Among others, the two parties decried the delay in the schedule for the sale of G-Com’s 30 percent share and committed themselves to an end of August 2002 deadline after TM has submitted a revised valuation report on GT prepared by Tm’s financial advisors.

By the same token, the meetings agreed that the US$ 50 million Heads of Agreement deposit of August 2000 should be concluded by the end of August this year.