Rot In Fire Service Exposed

Information reaching The Independent newspaper suggests that massive rot, corruption and discrimination has taken centre within the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). Sources say junior rank officers in the service are suffering the most from these nefarious activities of the top officials. The officers, the sources revealed, have been denied promotion for nine years now and are currently being denied promotion for Station officer 1 (their current position) to Assistant Divisional Officer 2 (their deserved rank) unless they write a promotional exam. The aggrieved officers are also crying foul over the promotion of some of their colleagues three years ago at their expense; a situation they say was a deliberate act of discrimination. They biggest peeve and beef is the fact that their colleagues who were promoted three years ago were not made to write any promotional exam, yet they will suffer the pain of writing promotional exams on this Friday, October 4, 2013. They are also alleging that some big wigs in the Fire Service are fraudulently siphoning GH�5,000 from some officers to guarantee their excellence in the exams and promotion; a move they believe will defeat the purpose of the promotional exam. According to the aggrieved officers, a directive by late President Mills required the security services to promote all its employees from their existing ranks to higher ranks in lieu of an increment in their salary. This directive, according to the officers, has been adhered to by all security services except the Fire Service. In a letter dated 16th August 2013 and addressed to the president of Ghana, the junior officers through Brookman � Amissah & Associates, petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to intervene by expressly directing the Acting Chief Fire Office to ensure their promotion without they (junior officers) undergoing any promotional examination. The Office Of The President is yet to respond to the petition despite a follow-up reminder dated 10th September 2013 addressed to the Flag Staff house. However, the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Prince Billy Anaglatey debunked the allegation that some officers of the service had been denied promotion. He explained, the promotional exam was conducted based on factors such as vacancy and as such the three year promotional exam requirement was not automatic. Mr. Anaglatey sharply denied the allegation of bribery. He stressed that if the aggrieved officers who are accusing some bigwigs in the Service of taking such monies know the culprits they have every right to report them to the Chief Officer. �I�m not sure this will be a true story. I also believe that it is a plot for them to justify why they wouldn�t like to write the exam. But if in reality somebody has come to ask them for money to be promoted, then I think that they have every right to report that person. I�m not sure anybody had demanded money�, he added.