Workers at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) are pushing for the removal of their chief accountant from office for treating them shabbily.

The workers cited Kenneth Agbezuhlor for corruption, abuse of office and threats on staff who do not obey his commands.

They have written to the Controller and Accountant General demanding the chief accountant’s recall save they demonstrate against him.

President of the CHRAJ Staff Association, Michael Nkansah told Francis Abban on Joy FM’s Top Story Thursday that their challenges with the accountant started about four years ago.

He said management has been informed about his attitude through resolutions but “we have not seen anything in change of behavior”.

He claimed Kenneth Agbezuhlor has constantly assaulted them verbally. For instance, he once insulted a lady that “a dog is even better than her” amongst other verbal abuses, Mr. Nkansah asserted.

The accountant has “not demonstrated that he wants to work in a human rights institution,” he said.

A formal complaint about their concerns was submitted to management Wednesday where they asked the government to relieve him of his duties or recall him to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.

He said the workers are not prepared to work with Kenneth Agbezuhlor because the “situation is worsening…he has no respect for our staff”.

He also cited an instance where the accountant made a derogatory comment to a physically challenged staff because of his disability.

“His behavior is inhumane, he doesn’t treat his staff with respect,” Micahel Nkansah emphasized.

Meanwhile information picked up by Joy News Editor Dzifa Bampoh from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department indicates that a committee was set up to investigate the claims that the accountant abused a disabled person which happened in 2010, but the complaint was withdrew by the complainant. This has been contested by Nkansah who said the case was not withdrew but rather the “committee did nothing”.

On the GIFMIS system which the workers claimed Kenneth Agbezuhlor has arrogated to himself the power to control and use, Dzifa also gathered that because of his position as the chief accountant at CHRAJ, he has access to the system but does not have full control over its use as the workers asserted.

In the case of the verbal assault and threats to staff, it was realized that Kenneth Agbezuhlor was rather the subject of verbal abuses by a staff member who referred to him as a “stupid man” without him responding, the findings indicate.

It was learnt that government has not released any subvention to CHRAJ since the beginning of the year. The last time any payments were made to the Regional offices was in March courtesy funding from DANIDA and UNDP for their project activities. The monies cannot be used to pay for piled up over-time allowances, transport and medical bills. This is in sharp contrast to claims by the workers that the Commission has money which is being shared among the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners.

Currently, there is an audit into the disbursement of DANIDA funds given to the Commission, Joy News gathered.