Airport company staff protest, curse Akufo-Addo over privatisation

Some workers of the Ghana Airport Company on Wednesday embarked on a protest over attempts by the government to cede management of the company to Turkish based TAV Airport Holdings.

The protest follows a cabinet approval for engagement of the private company which the Aviation ministry has described as a strategic partner.

This explanation has, however, not gone down well with the staff who on Wednesday clad in red converged at the Kotoka International Airport to register their disapproval.

Amidst chants for the head of their MD Yaw Kwakwa, the workers demanded an immediate halt of negotiations with the private company.

General Secretary for the Public Services Workers Union of TUC Bernard Adjei addressing the agitating workers assured them their concerns will be forcefully pushed at a scheduled meeting with authorities regarding the privatisation move.

That assurance did little to dissuade some staff from placing curses on President Akufo-Addo, Aviation Minister Kofi Adda over plans of ceding management of the company to private hands.

The curses were sealed by incantations, libation and breaking of eggs.

Some of the staff who spoke to Starr News expressed their disappointment in the move by government over fears of losing their jobs.

The group then proceeded to the administration block amidst chants of MD must go. The entrance to the office of the MD was heavily guarded foiling any thoughts of forcefully ejecting him from office.

Airport District Police Commander Supt. Eric Asamoah Asiedu, however, accosted the agitating staff and their leaders directing them to disperse since their actions were in violation of the public order Act.

In an interview with Starr News the PSWU general secretary Bernard Adjei disclosed the fact that government is yet to sign an agreement with the Turkish based company provides an opportunity to reinforce the position of the staff against the deal.

The protest comes a day after the Ministry of Aviation has dismissed claims that the Kotoka International Airport is being sold to a foreign company.

A statement by the Ministry stated that no such deal has ever been conceived by the government of Ghana adding that the reports are fabricated.

According to the ministry, the government is only considering a proposed Strategic Partnership Arrangement between GACL and TAV-SUMMA Consortium to improve service delivery and expansion of infrastructure at the Kotoka International Airport to achieve Government’s vision of making Ghana the Aviation Hub within the West African Sub-Region.

“To this end, we hereby state categorically that neither the Ministry nor the GACL has yet formally started any process of engagement on the subject matter with any stakeholder or partner.

“We therefore wish to note that the false information on the sale of the Kotoka International Airport being circulated in the media/social media is the work of mischievous and malicious elements to pitch the staff of GACL and the general public against the government to achieve their diabolical agenda and erode the successes chalked in the Aviation Sector for the last Three (3) years.”

Source: Starrfm.com.gh