PRESS RELEASE – Threat by GCAA Union and Professional Associations to Disrupt Flight Operations

REPUBLIC OF GHANA

   MINISTRY OF AVIATION

PRESS RELEASE

Threat by GCAA Union and Professional Associations to Disrupt Flight Operations.

For Immediate Release

Accra, 13^th March, 2020 – The attention of the Ministry of Aviation has been drawn to a press release attributed to the Union and Professional Associations of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), in which they threatened to withdraw some services which are critical to aviation safety, beginning Monday, March 16, 2020.

The Ministry views this development as most unfortunate, and assures the general public, especially passengers travelling by air, that scheduled flight operations will not be disrupted.

The Ministry also wishes to state the facts surrounding this matter as follows:

1. The Union and Professional Associations, in a petition to the Minister for Aviation on 23^rd January, 2020, demanded the removal of Air Cdre. Rexford G.M. Acquah (rtd) as Chairman of the Governing Board of GCAA and a freeze on all activities on GCAA lands at La Wireless and La Nkwantanan.
2. The Minister for Aviation subsequently held meetings with the two groups and GCAA Management, and assured them of the Ministry’s commitment to resolving the issues.
3. Ahead of the Minister’s communication of the outcome of various engagements with other stakeholders towards finding a lasting solution to these issues, and in violation of established GCAA policy, the Union and
4. Professional Associations held a press conference on 20^th February, 2020, where an erroneous impression of inaction on the part of the Ministry was created.
5. Following this press conference, the Minister for Aviation, accompanied by the Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, held a meeting with the Union and Professional Associations, Management and Staff of GCAA on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. It was agreed at this meeting that the Union and Professional Associations would await a response from the Minister for Aviation on the outcome of the engagements which were already underway.
6. It must be noted that the matter has been elevated to the level of the Presidency through the Chief of Staff and assurance given that it is being addressed to find an amicable solution.
7. This outcome has since been communicated to the Union and Professional Associations, with whom an understanding was reached that cessation of work on the said lands had been ordered and that no disruption of services within Ghana’s airspace would occur.
8. Additionally, the two groups made it clear that the press release on cessation of work would not be issued.
9. Indeed, yesterday’s press release flies in the face of this shared understanding and amounts to a betrayal of the spirit of cooperation that has characterized the Ministry’s engagement with the two groups.

The Ministry of Aviation has made significant progress on the resolution of the issues that have been raised, and hereby cautions against the withdrawal of services which will impact flight safety, particularly at a time that the Coronavirus pandemic is posing existential challenges to the global aviation industry.

SIGNED

JOSEPH KOFI ADDA (MP)

MINISTER FOR AVIATION

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Evans Ntiamoah

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