Mr William Ampem-Darko, former Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), has locked horns with the management of the state broadcaster over his gratuity and other entitlements due him.
On Monday June 13, 2011, he petitioned the National Media Commission over arrears owed him by the State Broadcaster- amount which Management of GBC has contested.
Mr Ampem-Darko was dismissed as the Director General of GBC in March this year after months of impasse at the corporation.
The Enquirer newspaper reported that Mr Ampem-Darko is demanding an amount of GH�900,000 from his former employers, and has turned to the NMC to ensure that the amount is paid to him. But the chairman of the National Media Commission Kabral Blay Amihere has disputed the figure put out by the paper: �The figure quoted is nowhere near what is the subject of competition.�
He would not however disclose the exact figure, explaining, it is unethical for salaries and gratuities of public officers to be discussed on air.
He told Joy News Israel Laryea that per his letter of engagement, Mr Ampem-Darko is entitled to three months salary in lieu of notice. �And then by the same contract, he is entitled to gratuity of three months, monthly net salary for every year of service at the time of leaving office multiplied by the number of years served.�
He admitted that the computation of the three months multiplied by the number of years was being disputed. �This is what the Director of Administration at GBC, the Director General and Ampem-Darko are disputing,� he confirmed.
Meanwhile, the paper suggested that the Commission claimed he was entitled to GHS 400,000, which its chairman has directed payment to that effect but Mr Amihere has described the report as a �total false�.
He explained that the Commission only received his (Ampem-Darko�s) petition on Monday June 13: �As I speak to you I am yet to minute on it.� He added the Commission is yet to meet on the matter. �You can challenge or talk to GBC or talk to the newspaper whether they have sighted any communication from the Media Commission authorizing the payment of any amount."
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