Audio By Carbonatix
Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Samuel Sarpong has been asked to stay out of his office or face the wrath of workers.
The warning was served by the PURC Workers Union, which described Mr Sarpong as anti-progressive.
The workers said the Executive Secretary has engaged in one questionable transaction after the other since he was appointed to head the Commission.
Chairman of PURC Workers Union, Jabaru Abubakar said he cannot guarantee Mr Sarpong will be allowed into his office in the coming days.
“He never showed up today [Thursday] so why will he show up tomorrow?” he told Evans Mensah on Joy FM’s Newsnite.
Activities at the PURC offices across the country came to a standstill following a protest by the workers over the continued stay in office of Mr Sarpong.
The Executive Secretary and former PURC PRO Nana Yaa Jantuah have been investigated for their roles in some questionable transactions at the Commission.
This followed Joy News’ investigation which revealed the sum of ¢435,087 was transferred into Mr Sarpong’s personal account for some official duties. The PRO was also reported to have spent ¢120,000 on 350 Christmas hampers in 2012.
But months after investigations concluded, the new government is yet to act on the Committee’s recommendations.
After they got wind of the PURC Board meeting scheduled by Mr Sarpong, the workers gathered at the Commission’s entrance to stop vehicles from entering.
Joy News’ Maxwell Agbagba who visited the scene reported the workers manhandled a man who identified himself as a board member.
“One of the board members pulled up at the annexe of the Commission but he was confronted and he angrily drove away,” the reporter said.
But Mr Abubakar said the man who was shoved around was part of the past board, which has no power to take any decision on behalf of the Commission.
“Per the Transitional arrangement, all boards have been dissolved,” he said, adding the workers only acted to stop an illegality from being carried out.
Asked if the workers will allow Mr Sarpong to access his office, Mr Abubakar said he could not guarantee that because the Executive Secretary has been against the progress of the Commission.
“If you are a landlord and they say your house is on fire I think you will gladly rush to see what you can salvage but here is a person who will run away at the least heat,” he said of the Commission’s head.
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