Features
TUC: Still standing accused?
• Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, TUC General Secretary
Readers, about two months ago, a very concerned Labour Consultant and Member of the Ghana Association of Certified Mediators and Arbitrators, Mr Seth Abloso, wrote a detailed petition to the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress of Ghana (TUC), reporting the criminal conduct of two “unfit” persons nominated by the TUC to represent Oganised Labour on the Boards of Trustees of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA).
Indeed, the petition was titled:” Petition for the withdrawal of unfit persons as representatives of Oganised Labour on the Boards of Trustees of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust and the National Pensions Regulatory Authority.”
The petition was copied to: (a) Member Unions of Organised Labour (b) the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (c) the Managing Director of GCB Bank LLC (d) the Chief Labour Officer (e) the Director General – SSNIT (f) the Chief Executive Officer – NPRA (g) the Executive Secretary – Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (h) the Executive Director – Ghana Integrity Initiative and the two “unfit” persons.
The petition named the two “unfit” persons as John Senanu Amagashie, General Secretary of the Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers (UNICOF) and Alex Nyarku-Opoku, who doubles as National Chairman of UNICOF and a Manager of the Burma Camp branch of GCB Bank LLC. Mr Nyarku-Opoku is also the Chairman of the General Council of the TUC.
Mr Abloso’s petition to the TUC Secretary General was fully highlighted by this column in the May 21, 2022 edition of The Spectator, and readers may refer to it.
In simple language, the petition was asking the TUC to replace the two “unfit” TUC nominees on SSNIT and NPRA Boards with new nominees, who are fit to represent Organised Labour on the two Boards.
Deeply reflecting on the criminal charges characterising the two “unfit” persons in Mr Abloso’s petition to the leadership of the TUC, one would have expected an institution like the TUC, to have responded to the petition to redeem its “infested” image in the matter but it has still not done that.
Lawyers for the two “unfit” persons have, however, written to Mr Abloso, asking him to “retract” what they claim as “defamatory and libellous statements” against their clients, as contained in his petition, besides rendering an apology.
The letter from the law firm (Law Alert Group) representing the two “unfit” persons, dated 10th June, 2022, was signed by Charles Bawaduah Esq. The letter warned Mr Abloso , stressing that within two weeks after the receipt of the letter, a legal action would be instituted against him if a “retraction” and an “apology” had not been rendered.
Having received the letter from the law firm on 22nd June 2022, Mr Abloso responded appropriately to it, re-affirming all the statements he made in his petition to the TUC leadership and further expatiated them.
Mr Abloso’s letter to the Law Alert Group, defending his statements on the two “unfit” persons makes very interesting reading.
His letter to the lawyers dated 30th June, 2022, emphatically stated: “The issues at stake are matters of public record and same have not been challenged in any way by Mr Alex Nyarku-Opoku and Mr John Senanu Amagashie and UNICOF.
“As matters stand now, Section 177(1) (c) of the Company Act, 2019 (ACT 992) remains relevant and indisputable. The unfit persons need to withdraw, be withdrawn or be restrained from being part of the Management or Directorship of any Company, whether limited by shares or limited by guarantee.
“Alternatively, I invite your clients to a joint verification of the records within one (1) week upon receipt of this letter, which outcome should conclude this matter and I await their favourable response to the request for verification.
“My request for Organised Labour through the Secretary General of the TUC to cause the withdrawal of Mr Nyarku-Opoku and Mr Senanu Amagashie from the Board of Directors of NPRA and the Board of Trustees of SSNIT, as Organised Labour representatives is based on the decisions of the High Court and records of the Judicial Service of Ghana, which are matters in the public domain and are not a fabrication.
“Mr Nyarku-Opoku was found by the ruling of the National Labour Commission (NLC) of 2nd June, 2017, to have lied on oath. The High Court affirmed this decision on 24th June, 2019, which has been acknowledged by him, rendering it as self-confessed misconduct.
“This alone renders him unfit to hold a position in the Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers (UNICOF) , let alone in the TUC , and how much more to serve on a Public Board?
“He, together with Mr Amagashie, among others, were found by the NLC and the High Court decisions to have multiple breaches of the UNICOF Constitution, including perpetuating administrative and adjudicative injustice, and by the same Constitution they were debarred from holding any elective office in the UNICOF , having accepted their guilt of breach of the Union’s Constitution, but defiantly and illegally staying on , despite cherished principle that nobody should benefit from breaching the law.
“So, how did they get into the structures of the TUC and get appointed as Board Member of NPRA and SSNIT, representing Organised Labour ?
“The TUC Secretary General knew or ought to have known that the said individuals were unfit and should not have entertained their nomination for consideration to the said Boards.
“In fact, the logical expectation was that upon receipt of my letter identifying them as unfit for purpose, Mr Nyarku-Opoku and Mr Senanu Amagashie should have resigned on their own accord to relieve the Secretary General and Organised Labour of the burden of recalling them
“The loan facility with GCB Bank which enumerated their prowess in deceiving the Bank to obtain a loan was put in public domain when UNICOF instructed same to be filed at the High Court in suit No. MSIL/03/2019.
“In the said loan facility agreement signed by the two unfit persons, they submitted that there was no litigation or arbitration proceedings taking place, pending or threatening against the UNICOF or its assets, which may have material adverse effect on its business, assets or financial position, knowing very well that this declaration is a blatant falsehood as Suit No. MSIL/03/2019, NLC vrs UNICOF was ongoing at the High Court, Accra.
“These pieces of information are public and verifiable. Your letter did not state the individuals had commenced or completed any processes to purge themselves of their unlawful conduct per the NLC ruling and their making false claims to obtain a loan on behalf of UNICOF from the GCB Bank.
“Mr Nyarku-Opoku and Mr Senanu Amagashie appear to be embroiled in another case bordering on fraud, which is also before the courts in Suit No. GJ/0226/2021.
“In this case, UNICOF under the supervision of the same individuals, has admitted to procuring , in other words, engineered the stealing of a GCB Bank customer’s Statement of Account, which wrong doing, according to the Bank, Mr Nyarku-Opoku has owned up being the one from whom UNICOF obtained the said stolen document. This is a criminal misconduct, which I cannot be convinced is befitting of a Board Member.
“However, by your letter Mr Nyarku-Opoku and Mr Senanu Amagashie are telling the people of Ghana, especially members, contributors and beneficiaries of SSNIT and the Pensions Schemes as well as business community that despite their lead roles in the above fraudulent incidents, they are fit to represent Organised Labour as Board Members of SSNIT and NPRA ?
“The leadership of Organised Labour and the TUC Secretary General’s silence and inaction in immediately withdrawing them from the Boards appear to be tacitly supporting and or covering up their misconduct and thereby tainting the image and credibility of the Boards.”
Readers, from Mr Abloso’s detailed response to the lawyers of the two “unfit” persons on the Boards of SSNIT and the NPRA; is the TUC leadership still justified in pretending to be “deaf and dumb” over the whole issue ?
Contact email/ WhatsApp of author:
asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
By G. Frank Asmah
WHEN I cast my mind back to a chance meeting which occurred many, many, years ago, I begin to ask myself several questions, the foremost being, was it really a chance meeting?
I can vividly recall that evening at Nkawkaw, when I together with a friend and classmate, went to say hello to another classmate and also a friend called Afful.
As is usually the case when young men, who the youth of today call boys-boys, who are doing their national service meet, the chit chat will naturally involve the careers we would be pursuing at the University.
As the discussion went on, Afful then mentioned that there was a Mining Engineering course being offered by UST (now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology) at Tarkwa and it offers opportunity to travel outside, specifically to Germany among others as part of the course.
It immediately caught my attention and I made a decision that, I will be going to pursue a career in Mining at UST School of Mines (now University of Mines and Technology), as it was then called. The fact that only six people were admitted each year for the BSc Mining Engineering, did not bother me at all. My mind was made up.
Prior to this meeting, I had in mind Pharmacy, as the course I was going for and was not interested in any of the other engineering courses, but a little worry I had about the pharmacy was my dislike for the scent of drugs that is associated with pharmacies in our hospitals and how I was going to cope with it.
Therefore when I heard about this mining course which had nothing to do with smell of drugs and the added incentive of travelling to ‘aburokyire’, it settled the issue of the choice of career for me. I was going to become a Mining Engineer, end of story. I never discussed it with any of my friends because except one who was going to University of Ghana, the others wanted to go to UST, Kumasi and the fear was that, if I told them I wanted to go to Tarkwa, they might convince me to change my mind.
The decisive and unflinching resolve to go for Mining Engineering despite the chances of not getting in beats my mind up till date. The funny thing is that Afful, who got me interested in the course and had shown some initial interest, never applied for it but went to pursue a different course altogether.
The logical question is, why did I decide to pay a casual visit to Afful on that particular day and time? If we had gone there say in the afternoon, the chances are, he might not be at home or will have been busy and so we will not have had the opportunity to have a long chat for this issue of mining to emerge.
The answer to the questions that readily comes to mind is that fate has something to do with this meeting and that it was orchestrated by a divine authority who rules and reigns in the life of men and especially for those who put their trust in him, he God, directs their path according to Psalm 37:23.
There is a man whose name must also be mentioned to complete this story, Professor Ralph Asabere. An issue cropped up when I was given admission that caused my admission to be withdrawn after I had reported and duly admitted by the then Head of Department and was therefore compelled to return home.
Before I left the campus at Tarkwa, Mr Ralph Asabere, a lecturer, came to my room and comforted me and told me not to worry and that I should go home and further added that, one year is not a long time and so if I really want to do mining, I should apply again for the next academic year and he shall ensure that I am admitted because I have not been treated fairly. I thanked him and left the campus. A year later, Professor Ralph Asabere honoured his word and the rest is history.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
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TELOMERES, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, play a crucial role in maintaining genomic stability and regulating cellular aging.
The length of telomeres has been associated with lifespan and age-related diseases, with recent studies highlighting sex differences in telomere biology.
This article provides a comprehensive review of the current knowledge on the role of telomeres in the lifespan of men and women, highlighting the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying these differences.
Introduction
Telomeres are repetitive nucleotide sequences (TTAGGG in humans) that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from deterioration and fusion. Telomere length (TL) shortens with each cell division, and when TL reaches a critical threshold, cells enter senescence or undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis).
Telomere shortening has been implicated in aging and age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia.
Sex differences in telomere length
Women generally have longer telomeres than men, with a slower rate of telomere shortening with age.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that women had longer telomeres than men across all age groups.
This sex difference in TL is thought to contribute to the female advantage in lifespan, with women living approximately 5–7 years longer than men on average.
Mechanisms underlying sex differences in telomere length
- Estrogen: Estrogen has been shown to increase telomerase activity, the enzyme responsible for maintaining TL, in human cells. Estrogen also has antioxidant properties, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, which contribute to telomere shortening.
- Genetic Factors: Genetic variants in telomere-related genes, such as TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase), have been associated with TL and lifespan. A study published in Nature found that genetic variants in TERT were associated with TL and risk of age-related diseases.
- Lifestyle Factors: Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, physical activity, and diet, can influence TL, with women generally exhibiting healthier lifestyle habits.
Telomere shortening and age-related diseases
Telomere shortening has been implicated in various age-related diseases, including:
- Cardiovascular Disease: Short TL has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction and stroke.
- Cancer: Telomere shortening is a hallmark of cancer, with cancer cells often exhibiting critically short TL.
- Dementia: Short TL has been associated with increased risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Sex differences in telomere shortening and age-related diseases
Women tend to have a slower rate of telomere shortening with age, which may contribute to their lower risk of age-related diseases.
A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that women had a slower rate of telomere shortening and lower risk of age-related diseases compared to men.
Clinical implications
- Telomere Length as a Biomarker: TL has been proposed as a biomarker for aging and age-related diseases, with potential applications in clinical practice.
- Telomere-Targeted Therapies: Therapies aimed at maintaining or increasing TL, such as telomerase activators, are being explored for the treatment of age-related diseases.
Conclusion
Telomeres play a critical role in regulating cellular aging, with sex differences in TL contributing to the female advantage in lifespan. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these differences is essential for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies for age-related diseases.
Let’s dive deeper into the topic of telomeres and their role in aging.
What are telomeres?
Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences (TTAGGG in humans) that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from deterioration and fusion. Think of them like the plastic tips on shoelaces, preventing the chromosomes from unraveling.
How do telomeres affect aging?
- Telomere Shortening: Each time a cell divides, its telomeres shorten. When telomeres become too short, the cell can no longer divide and becomes senescent or undergoes apoptosis (programmed cell death).
- Aging and Telomeres: Telomere shortening is associated with aging and age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia.
Sex differences in telomere length
- Women have longer telomeres: Women generally have longer telomeres than men, which may contribute to their longer lifespan.
- Estrogen’s role: Estrogen has been shown to increase telomerase activity, the enzyme responsible for maintaining telomere length, which may explain why women have longer telomeres.
Factors influencing Telomere length
- Genetics: Genetic variants in telomere-related genes can affect telomere length.
- Lifestyle: Factors like smoking, physical activity, and diet can influence telomere length.
- Stress: Chronic stress can lead to telomere shortening.
Telomeres and age-related diseases
- Cardiovascular Disease: Short telomeres are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Cancer: Telomere shortening is a hallmark of cancer.
- Dementia: Short telomeres are associated with increased risk of dementia.
Potential Applications
- Biomarker for aging: Telomere length could serve as a biomarker for aging and age-related diseases.
- Telomere-Targeted Therapies: Therapies aimed at maintaining or increasing telomere length are being explored for age-related diseases.
BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND THOMPSON
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