We’re sorry, we lied – GPHA staff to Mac Manu

Workers of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) have withdrawn the corruption allegations they leveled against their board chairman Peter Mac Manu.

Last month, the workers accused Mr Mac Manu of awarding to himself a GHS4 million contract for the wiring of a newly-constructed electrical and material block at the port.

They also accused Mr Mac Manu of running a family-and-friends administration by awarding various contracts to his wife and children.

Mr Mac Manu refuted these claims through a press conference and threatened to sue the workers if they fail to retract the allegations and apologise to him and his family for same.

At a press conference in Accra on Friday, 22 June, the workers said they failed to engage management over their grievances, therefore, the need to withdraw the allegations.

The Chairman of the Senior Staff Union of GPHA, John Assif, said: “After the press conference, it has come to our notice that we did not engage management the more as we should have done before holding the press conference.

“Some facts have come to our notice which on hindsight we would not have brought into the public domain against Mr Mac Manu and his family at our press conference. We, therefore, withdraw the allegations against Mr Mac Manu in particular, his wife and unreservedly apologise to them.”

“Nevertheless, we, as a union with a role to protect public interest, will not shed our responsibilities as a watchdog for accountability in the governance of public institutions.”