Workers of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the Ashanti Region have threatened to shut down operations on Friday, December 13, 2024, unless the government intervenes over the alleged forceful removal of two top management members from their residential bungalows.
The workers have accused private developers of unlawfully demolishing the fence walls and boy’s quarters of the directors’ residences without any prior notice. In a press conference, staff members, dressed in red and black to signify their anger, condemned the actions, describing them as a blatant disrespect for the company’s management and workers. They argued that the demolition had made the area unsafe.
Emmanuel Okpoti Kodiah, Vice Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of GWCL, said, “The recent actions of the private developers have shown blatant disrespect for our directors, managers, and the entire staff of GWCL in the Ashanti Region. This is unacceptable and has rendered the place insecure.” He stressed that these residences are essential for the functioning of government institutions like GWCL in the region.
The workers are demanding an apology to GWCL management and the immediate reconstruction of the demolished portions of the bungalows. They have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the private developers to restore the destroyed property. Failure to do so, they warn, will result in a shutdown of operations in the Ashanti Region at exactly 9:00 am on Friday.
However, investigations by 3news revealed that the bungalows in question are part of a larger 400-acre state property that has been ceded back to the Asantehene for redevelopment. According to the Regional Coordinating Council and the Regional Lands Commission, the affected government institutions, including GWCL, were notified months ago about the relocation and the upcoming redevelopment. Despite this, GWCL management has reportedly rejected the new housing allocation and has not received any formal communication from its head office in Accra regarding the relocation.
The Lands Commission and the Regional Coordinating Council maintain that all relevant parties were informed of the planned changes and the relocation, but GWCL’s regional management claims they had no authority to act on these matters without directives from the head office.
