NACOB legal head to study in the US

Page 31: June 24, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Head of the Legal Unit of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Daniel Amankwaah, is to take a leave of absence to enable him to pursue the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship programme in the US.
A letter dated June 19, 2008 and signed by the Director of Finance and Administration, Mr Michael Addo, noted that Mr Amankwaah made the request to be granted 13 months’ leave of absence, with effect from June 30, 2008, to enable him to attend the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship programme.
He has consequently been asked to hand over all NACOB property in his possession by today.
“In view of this, management requests that you prepare and submit a handing-over note and hand over all NACOB property in your possession to the executive secretary by Tuesday, June 24, 2008,” the letter said, adding, “You are also required to sign a bond in this regard.”
Mr Amankwaah explained that the fellowship was on substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking and that it would enable him to study the criminal justice system in relation to drug convictions, confiscation and policy.
“I will also study things about drug education, treatment and rehabilitation,” he added in his reply of June 20, 2008.
On the conditions of service of workers of NACOB, which was the subject of a recent report in the Daily Graphic, Mr Amankwaah said it was he who prevented the workers from embarking on an industrial action, to enable him to discuss their conditions with management.
He recalled that after the board had approved a new service condition for the staff, the executive secretary, in a letter dated August 30, 2007, wrote to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, through the Interior Minister, for the implementation of the new salary scale for the staff.
Mr Amankwaah said the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Dr A. Akoto Osei, in a reply dated November 14, 2007, asked the executive secretary to direct all such matters to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission through the Minister of the Interior.
He noted that the workers were later informed by the executive secretary that Cabinet had approved the document and so the board should expect the implementation of the new salaries soon.
He said the chairman of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission wrote to the board on May 13, 2008 requesting it to submit detailed information on the salary structure and other details of wages, allowances and benefits for its staff.
Mr Amankwaah said the management responded to the letter on May 30, 2008, following hints of worker unrest over the poor conditions of service and the delay by government to act on it.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of NACOB, Mr Francis Opoku Amoah, said Mr Amankwaah had been given a June 24 deadline to hand over to facilitate inventory taking.