The former management of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has dismissed allegations of illegalities in its human resource (HR) decisions, insisting that all actions taken were necessary for the programme’s effective operation.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, February 25, former CEO Kofi Owusu Nkansah explained that staffing gaps had to be addressed to meet the requirements of World Bank programmes.
“Nothing illegal was done at NEIP. When I took over, there were HR gaps we had to fill to qualify us for our World Bank Programmes, for example, because there wasn’t even a Procurement Unit,” the statement read.
The former management justified the hiring of temporary staff, arguing that it was impractical to run multiple projects with only five permanent employees seconded by the Presidency, whose tenure was tied to that of the President.
“I couldn’t have run all the numerous projects with only five permanent staff from the Presidency whose tenure ends on 6th January with the President’s. Who would have been there now to show the new team around? Some of those you are calling illegal are currently there helping the new team,” the statement added.
It explained that temporary staff were placed on allowances from 2022 to 2023 under the Ghana Economic Transformation Project (GETP) and later under Government of Ghana (GoG) funds while awaiting the passage of an Act to formalise their employment.
Citing precedent, the statement noted, “In 2017, the NPP Government regularized a lot of temporary staff inherited from 2016 in some of the agencies. This is nothing new.”
Addressing concerns about the payment of allowances, the former management insisted that all payments were legally processed through bank accounts with the necessary deductions made.
“Allowances are not illegal. They were properly paid through bank accounts and PAYE was deducted. You don’t pay SSNIT on allowances,” the statement asserted.
The statement further questioned the basis of the allegations, pointing out that the new NEIP CEO had approved similar allowances for January 2025.
“If it’s illegal, why has the new CEO come to sign same allowances for January 2025?” it queried.
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