The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, (EC) Charlotte Osei, has called on the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the National Labour Commission to as a matter of urgency intervene in the assault case against a Ghanaian female kitchen staffer whose face was dipped in a paste of freshly blended pepper at the Abelenkpe branch of Marwako Fast Food Limited.
According to her, employees in the country have always not been treated well and hence this case offers the opportunity to address this issue which often rears its ugly head.
“It is clearly a matter of administrative injustice and so I would like to hear from them. I want to hear from the Labour Commission and CHRAJ.
We would like to hear what the institutions of state that have been mandated to deal with these kinds of issues and what they are doing and saying about it.
“Employees in the country have always not been treated fairly but what most employers are refusing to know is that instead of drawing some measures to discipline troublemakers, they rather subject them to bad acts which is solely against the law,” she said.
Mrs Charlotte Osei was speaking on the Special edition of Joy FM’s Morning Show Wednesday hosted by Second Lady, Samira Bawumia as part of activities to mark the International Women’s Day Celebration.
The victim, Evelyn Boakye, alleged that Mr Jihad Chaaban, her supervisor, forcefully dipped her face in a paste of freshly blended pepper. She also said Mr Chaaban locked her up for several hours after the incident.
Ms Boakye reported the case to the police who arrested Mr Chaaban, interrogated him and later granted him bail. He was subsequently charged with assault on Tuesday, 7 March.
The incident has been widely condemned by Ghanaians on social media, leading to a call for a total boycott of Marwako.
On Tuesday, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba, Labour and Employment Relations Minister, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah and MP for the area, Kyeremateng Agyarko met with the management of Marwako over the matter.
The Labour Minister ordered an intensive audit of Marwako’s labour practices.
But Mrs Osei reacting to the issue noted that in as much as the case is seen as a physical assault on her as a person, it is important to note that it is also an assault on the womanhood of Ghanaians and the dignity of Ghanaians.
She maintained that instead of Ghanaians just condemning the act, sanctions should be thrown on the issue and use it as example in order to serve as a deterrent to others who may be planning same.
“Let us just not condemn. Let’s use this incident as an example to serve as a deterrent to others and right the wrongs in our society,” she noted.
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