The ongoing brouhaha at the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited (GCMCL) does not seem to be ending anytime soon after the Chief Executive Officer, Frances Essiam defied a suspension order by the Board of the company.
According to Madam Essiam, she is still the substantive CEO of the company and not aware of any suspension order by the board.
“I am still the substantive CEO and I am at work…that is all I can say for now,” Essiam told Journalists at the premises of the company Wednesday morning.
Her defiance comes after workers of the GCMCL on Wednesday protested the suspension of their embattled CEO.
According to the workers, Essiam has turned the fortunes of the Company around since she was appointed CEO last year.
“We are protesting because of the information we are picking that our CEO, Frances Essiam has been suspended. We received a letter from state enterprising commission saying contrary. According to the letter, the chairman of state enterprising commission is investigating what the board chairman has said.
The board of GCMCL Tuesday ordered Essiam to step aside with immediate effect.
The action came on the back of the impasse between the board and Essiam over some of her decisions since assuming the post last year.
In a statement Tuesday after a meeting at the Robin Hood Hotel on the Spintex road, the board decided that all contracts entered into by Madam Essiam have also been put on hold pending investigations.
The Board, has in the interim, appointed the Technical Director of the company, Mr. Ezekiel Mensah to act in the absence of Madam Essiam. Mr. Mensah, however, does not have the power to take “major administrative decisions such as promotion, termination of appointment, dismissal or engagement of new employees without the consent of the Board.”
Essiam has been accused of financial malpractices and authorizing illegal contracts but she denied all those allegations.
Source: Starrfmonline.com
