Workers of the Narcotics Control Board are threatening to resign following what they call government’s deliberate attempt to sabotage activities of the board. According to the workers, the government has shown no commitment towards fighting the drug menace in the country.

One worker told this reporter: "We have worked for NACOB for the past ten years and still our conditions have not changed. These barons go to prison and when they come back, they are hundred (100) % better than we those who arrested them."

According to reports, the workers are now fed up and have resolved to resign, if government refuses to take drastic measures to address their conditions of service and the proposed salary structure of the Board.

Sources close to NACOB said the Computer Room of the board, which is supposed to be used for research on best practices in the drug fight across the globe, has now been turned into an Online Job Application Centre by the workers.

"The workers say they cannot continue to be working for the Board under the present situation. Some of the workers were even plain in making the point that, if things continued this way, the Board will soon collapse; and Ghana will once again become a transit point for these drug traffickers," the source relayed.

Meanwhile, sorties into the NACOB offices revealed workers lashing out at Management's inability to meet their demands forward. According to some of the workers who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity, Management seems to be quiet on the issue and only keeps threatening workers with dismissal anytime they attempt to go on strike to make known their demands.

The workers alleged that they have been on a salary structure that has existed since 1999.

This anomaly, according to the workers, must be corrected. "We think the Government does not really know what we are going through here at NACOB," they complained.

According to the workers, the new condition of service which was approved in December 2007 has not been implemented.

Since NACOB was established in 1990, they alleged, workers have never received anything like extra duty allowance, risk allowance, clothing allowance, rent allowance etc. The Conditions of Service, according to sources, was supposed to correct these anomalies. However, nine months after its approval by the Governing Board, the Government is yet to ensure its implementation.

According to the workers, they are appealing to the Government to at least bring them at par with their colleagues in the Ghana Police Service, pending the implementation of their proposed salary and Conditions of Service.

According to the workers, the visit by the Minister to their premises was the worse thing that has ever happened in the life of the Board since it been established in 1990. The workers explained that they were shocked to know that Government would only consider their plight, if they voted for them as indicated by the Minister in his address.


Source: Observer