Friday, 24th June, 2022

Page 4
DAILY ANALYST Friday, 24th June, 2022
Petition
against Dr.
K.K. Sarpong’s
royal status
withdrawn
Story: Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu
It has emerged that elders of Akonkodease Royal Gate
in Offinso Traditional Area of the Ashanti Region have
withdrawn a petition they filed at the Manhyia Palace,
the official seat of the Asantehene, challenging the
royal status of the former Chief Executive of the Ghana
National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Dr. Kofi Koduah
Sarpong, who is a possible candidate to be installed the new
Paramount Chief of Offinso.
There are two royal families — Ahyirem and Akonkodease.
And that the elders of Akonkodease have dragged Dr. Sarpong
before the Manyhia Palace with the argument that former (Dr.
Sarpong) is not a true royal.
However, on Monday, June 20, 2022, at the Manhyia Palace
in Kumasi, the elders of the Akonkodease Roya family set
aside their petition on the grounds that they cannot come
from the Akonkodease gate to decide for the elders of Ahyirem
gate who is a true royal because it was two separate families.
Interestingly, DAILY Analyst learned that the only issue
left to be settled in a few weeks was an internal family misunderstanding
between the Ahyirem Royal family itself.
The bigger exposé has forced the elders of the Akonkodease
Royal Gate to withdraw their petition to avoid stiffer
penalties from Asanteman Council as DAILY Analyst gathered
that the Manhyia Palace has set up a five-member committee
to investigate the matter and submit their reports and recommendations
in a month time.
It would be recalled that a petition was sent to Asantehene,
Otumfuo Osei Tutu Osei II, challenging the royal status
of Dr. Sarpong a few weeks ago after his nomination by the
kingmakers of Offinso Traditional Council to be installed the
next Offinsohene.
The petition led by the Akonkodease Abusuapanin, Nana
Kwadwo Asiamah, explained that Dr. Sarpong does not hail
from Offinso.
But a further consultation has revealed that Dr. Sarpong
hails from the Ahyirem Royal family with a lineage traced
in the Offinso state book launched by the late Nana Wiafe
Akenten ll.
This came to light after the Asanteman Council sitting on
Monday, June 20, 2022, led by His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei
Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace.
Dr. Sarpong was on Thursday, June 16, 2022, sworn in as
the Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra
(UPSA) for a five-year tenure.
The former chief executive of the Ghana National Petroleum
Corporation became the second chancellor of the institution
after it attained full university status.
The number of Monkeypox
cases in the
country has jumped
from 5 to 18, the Ghana
Health Service has
confirmed but no death has been
recorded so far.
Addressing the media on
Wednesday, the Ghana Health
Service disclosed that 72 suspected
cases were tested and 18 came
out positive.
the infected persons are between
the ages of 9 months and
41 years.
“We have had about 72 suspected
cases and 18 so far have
tested positive, and the last case
was on the 14th of June. The age
ranges between 9 months and 41
years, and we have found them
in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Bono,
and Eastern regions. Nobody
has died from Monkeypox yet,”
Dr. Kumah Aboagye, the Director-General
of the Ghana Health
Service said.
Story: Prosper Selassy
Supermaritime Ghana
Limited located in Tema
Community 1 under the
umbrella body of Maritime
and Dockworkers
Union (MDU) of the Ghana
Trades Union Congress (GTUC)
has been dragged to an Accra
High Court by a worker of the
company, Nana Kofi Anaafi.
This follows what Nana Kofi
Anaafi, who is the plaintiff in the
case with suit no: 11/006/2022
between him and Supermaritime
Ghana Ltd., the defendant,
has described as wrongful and
unlawful termination of his appointment
by the company.
The plaintiff/applicant
contends that to the best of his
knowledge, at all material times
that the MDU has been trying to
resolve the matters in dispute,
at no point has the issue of compensation
or benefits occasioned
by the wrongful termination of
his employment come up for
discussions.
He added that he has no
knowledge of any payment
advice, and has not accepted or
agreed to accept any cheque/payment,
from the defendant as full
and final payment of benefits
resulting from the defendant's
wrongful termination of his
employment.
In an affidavit in support of
the application filed on behalf of
the plaintiff by the Paintsil Paintsil
& CO., Goshen Chambers, a
legal firm at Adabraka in Accra,
the plaintiff is praying the court
to direct the defendant to pay
to him increases in salaries and
allowances during the period
of his interdiction and employment
termination.
It asked the court to order
the defendant to pay the tier 1,
tier 2, and tier 3 pension contribution
during the period of the
interdiction and employment
termination; general damages
for breach; and legal costs.
The affidavit stated that
though the defendant subsequently
entered an appearance
He said the government has
effectively worked to contain
the spread of the disease and is
hoping that it will continue to
Worker of Supermaritime
drags company to court
Monkeypox cases
in Ghana hit 18
to the action on 25 April 2022,
it has since not delivered its
defense to date.
"I am advised that the Plaintiff/Applicant
has become entitled
to interlocutory judgment
in default of defense for the
reliefs endorsed in the Writ of
Summons by reason of the said
default," it noted.
However, a statement of defense
by the defendant expressly
denied each and every material
statement of fact contained
in the plaintiff's statement of
claim.
The defendant denied that
the plaintiff was dismissed but
stressed that his appointment
was terminated after a committee
confirmed his gross insubordination.
The defendant also denied
the assertion that the plaintiff
was required to intercede in
matters affecting the wellbeing
of industry and labour during
normal working hours.
"The defendant avers that the
plaintiff misconducts himself
and was disrespectful towards
the Managing Director on several
occasions and the Maritime
and Dock Workers Union (MDU)
per their rules always sought
written permission for employees
who were engaged in Union
activities for every programme,"
it said.
According to the defense
statement, the defendant refuted
the averments that the plaintiff
did not have such a mandate
during his employment with the
company and needed permission
at all times to take part in union
activities.
The defendant argued that
the said demonstration was
against government policy by
some individuals in the shipping
industry.
The defendant said it was
against the interest of the
defendant for the plaintiff to be
engaged in such activities without
being granted the requisite
permission from the appropriate
quarters.
The defendant further stated
do that to keep the cases low.
Ghana recorded its first five
cases of Monkeypox disease on
May 24, 2022.
that the plaintiff's conduct on
that day was not appropriate
and was aimed at bringing the
name of the defendant into
disrepute, considering the fact
that the system the plaintiff was
assisting the demonstrators to
fight against was the same one
that had been used for the past
couple of years.
The defendant admitted
paragraph 8 of the statement of
claim and averred that it took
that action because the plaintiff
refused to accept a verbal
instruction, followed by written
instruction, and subsequently
left his post to stay at home.
According to the statement,
the plaintiff tried to use the
MDU against the defendant but
it stood its ground.
The defendant maintained
that it acted in the right way as
the conduct of the plaintiff over
time had gotten out of hand and
was setting a bad example for
others to emulate.
Responding further to the
statement of claim, the defendant
said the plaintiff persistently
tried to use his friends
at the MDU to influence the
report of the disciplinary committee
but was unsuccessful,"
The defendant indicated that
the company had always complied
with the labour laws but
that the plaintiff several times
tried to use the union to disrupt
law and order on the company’s
premises.
The defendant also stated
that the plaintiff persistently
showed disrespect to the management
of the defendant.
"The defendant affirmed that
the plaintiff sleeps in the office
in the plain sight of staff and clients
who have come to the office
for one reason or the other.
"The defendant denied that
the plaintiff was dismissed but
rather his appointment was
terminated after the committee
confirmed his gross insubordination.
Thus, the defendant stated
that the suit was an abuse of
the court process and that the
plaintiff was not entitled to any
of the reliefs endorsed on the
writ of summons and statement
of claim.