Some macho men numbering about 200, claiming to be members of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Invisible Forces, on Monday morning thronged the premises of the Golden Jubilee terminal of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), to demand their share of national security jobs.
According to the heavily-built men who were dressed in black T-shirts with the inscription “invisible forces”, they were at the port to ensure they were given jobs as security guards at the Port since they have sacrificed a lot for the party.
The Commander of the Tema West Invisible Forces, Ibrahim Iddrisu, said “we are not at the terminal to take over the place, but rather to fight for our right to work because we have actually sacrificed for the party and we deserve to be acknowledged and given employment here at the Port.” He said members of the invisible forces are the right people to be given employment at the Port considering the role they played as security guards during the NPP campaign.
“We are the right persons for the job because we were the same guys they used during the campaign and we will not allow anybody to come and enjoy from our sweat,” he lamented As of the time Citi News got to the Golden Jubilee Terminal Monday morning, the police and port security had managed to convince the invisible forces out of the main Golden Jubilee terminal yard, and were rather standing at the entrance of the yard with some motorbikes parked around them.
Mr. Iddrisu further explained that, on Saturday, they had information that some party executive members had issued letters to some party members to be employed at the Port without the knowledge of the Invisible Forces. “It was on Saturday that we had information that some letters had been issued to some persons to work at the Port as security personnel without the knowledge of we the Invisible forces.
So we decided to come here today to ensure they don’t work.” Mr. Iddrissu however noted that, they are sending a strong signal to the President that they would not allow non-members of the Invisible Forces to be recruited as security personnel in the Police, army or any institutions because they have suffered for the party.”
“We are the ones who suffered for the party so if there is any recruitment to be done to the security services, we should be given the first priority,” he said. Another member of the forces who gave his name as Ismail, threatened that, “if the President and the party refuse to heed to our signal, we shall move to next stage and they won’t be happy.”
Closed-door meeting with port management The Public Relations Manager for the Tema Port, Mrs. Joana Adda, when contacted, noted that the grievances expressed by the members of the invisible forces has nothing to do with GPHA, and assured the public to relax and have confidence in the Tema Port as its operations were going on smoothly.
The Port public relations outfit together with the Tema Regional Police and the GPHA Security Manager and the leadership of the Invisible forces, were called into a closed-door meeting where they were made to understand the implications of their actions. Calm has since returned to the Golden Jubilee terminal, as the invisible forces moved out after the meeting with the management and the security officials.
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