The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Workers’ Union in the Ashanti Region has prohibited four general managers from attending all Regional Security Council (REGSEC) meetings.
These general managers from Ashanti East, West, South, and Sub-Transmission are automatic council members.
According to the union, the ban will be in place until the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, the Chairman of the Council, apologises to the general manager of Ashanti West, Michael Wiafe.
The minister ordered the arrest of Mr Wiafe, who failed to comply with orders to reconnect Kumasi Technical University following a disconnection due to the school’s unpaid bills.
He was later released on self-recognisance bail.
Legally, self-recognisance is a court’s decision to allow a person charged with a crime to remain at liberty pending trial without posting bail.
The ECG workers had earlier demanded an unqualified apology from Mr Osei-Mensah.
The workers in the region registered their displeasure with the minister’s actions, asserting that they do not follow his directives in their operations but owe allegiance to ECG.
They also threatened to hoist red flags and dress in red in solidarity if the regional minister failed to withdraw the case against Mr Wiafe from the police station by the close of Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
In a statement, the Engineering Council said it was troubled by the ordeal of Mr Wiafe, who was only carrying out his duty.
“The Engineering Council is troubled by the fact that an engineering practitioner, who was carrying out his regular duties of ensuring power distribution and recovery of payments, has to face such a harrowing experience.
“Such a development not only serves as a disincentive to other engineering practitioners but could, potentially, interfere with the work of other professionals in their respective organisations,” the professional entity stated.