The Board of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company (GCMC) has directed the CEO of the state-owned firm, Ms Frances Essiam to step aside following a Board meeting on Tuesday.
The directive comes in the wake of the rift between the board and Madam Essiam over some of the management decisions sanctioned by her since assuming the post last year.
At least 6 of the 9-member board voted in favour of the CEO’s suspension.
The board has asked that all contracts entered into by Madam Essiam should be put on hold pending investigations, a statement on Tuesday after the board meeting at the Robin Hood Hotel said.
Consequently the Board, has in the interim, appointed the Technical Director of the company, Mr. Ezekiel Mensah to act in the stead of Madam Essiam pending investigations into the various allegations leveled against her.
Also the Board, according to the statement has also reversed the “purported termination of appointment of the Finance and Accounts Manager until the committee of Inquiry recommends otherwise.”
Frances Essiam early on hit back at the the company’s board chair, Frank Boakye Agyen accusing him of having malicious intent to run down management of the entity.
She denied claims of awarding several contracts worth millions of Ghana cedis without recourse to the company’s board.
Her denial comes in the wake of Kasapafmonline.com’s interception of a letter from the company’s board earlier warning her to stay off the disbursement of a GH¢5million stimulus package sought by the government for the company.
Speaking on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, Frances Essiam intimated she was scandalized the Board Chairman resorted to leaking classified information to the media instead of channeling his grievances that concerns the entity to the appropriate authorities for redress.
According to her, the Board Chairman had only set out to defame, and destroy her reputation for no apparent reason.
“The Chairman has a malicious and evil agenda and I Frances Ewurabena Essiam will not allow any human being born of woman and man under the sun, skies and on this earth to impugn my integrity. Ghanaians know me for my diligence so I am the last person as a member of OccupyGhana, I’m the last person as a member of the society who talks and is a social critic to be involved in any corruptible acts”
“I have been managing affairs from day one up to this time; and still working as the Executive officer of the company. Chairman has not contributed even GHS1, by way of even networking; secondly by even getting to the appropriate authorities. All he knows is cooking stories to disgrace the company. Can you go to workers and tell them the company will collapse in June? he wanted to plot a coup against me, but workers quickly came to inform me of this, and I told them to disregard him. I have scripted all the issues and forwarded to the appointing authorities, of which investigations are underway. So for me, as I’m on the right path.”