YEA Board rejects Mahama’s man for Deputy CEO with damning report

President John Dramani Mahama’s appointee rejected. What due diligence or background checks went into the appointment when the Presidency has the BNI and National Security at its disposal?

No reason was assigned for the sudden removal of the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, from office. Some people, however, alleged that his refusal to work with a visually impaired man appointed by President John Dramani Mahama as Deputy CEO of YEA led to his removal.

The man, Jacob Atule Adongo, last Wednesday said on Joy FM that he believed Mr. Kuagbenu was responsible for the delay in confirming him. He said that could be the reason for Mr. Kuagbenu’s removal after only five months in office.

The constitution allows the President to appoint the deputy CEO of the Agency with advice from the governing board of the YEA. But the advice from the governing board says Mr. Adongo is not qualified for the position. “Mr. Adongo lacks the requisite qualification, discipline and work ethics and so we do not recommend him for the said position,” a cover letter attached to the board’s report and signed by the YEA’s Board Chairman, Samuel A. Jabanyite, states.

Vincent Kuagbenu was fired after being in charge of YEA for only five months

The governing board set up a three-woman sub-committee to assess Mr. Adongo’s suitability for the position. A report by the sub-committee of the board gives six reasons for rejecting the appointment of Mr. Adongo. They are as follows:

1. Jacob Adongo does not have the requisite qualification as per the Scheme of Service developed under the guidance of the Public Service Commission and approved by the Board. According to the Scheme of Service, the minimum requirement for the position for the Deputy Chief Executive Officer is a master’s degree in Public/Business Administration, Management, Social Sciences or any related field from an accredited tertiary intuition plus twelve (12) years of service, five (5) of which must be in a senior management position. Unfortunately, Mr. Adongo has only a first degree and has not worked in the required capacity.

2. The Committee has detected too many queries on Mr. Adongo’s file, some of which are serious matters cited in the Auditor General’s Report for the year ended December, 2013. It is stated at Paragraph 74 of the report that, “We, however, noted during our audit that Mr. Adongo Jacob, an officer of GYEEDA [now YEA] used an official vehicle with registration number GE 2888-X (Nissan Patrol) belonging to the Agency for an unauthorised programme he organized at Angel [Hill] Hotel, East Legon. Further investigation revealed the vehicle has been seized by the Hotel management for over a year now because Mr. Adongo could not settle the hotel bill.”

3. For the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer, discipline is an essential requirement. However, Mr. Adongo is indicted in the Auditor General’s report cited above and it was recommended at Paragraph 76 that, “We urged management as a matter of urgency to take steps to retrieve the vehicle without any further delay and strict disciplinary action taken against the officer for violating the rules.” It is therefore our opinion that he has not shown enough responsibility to enable him to occupy the position of a Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

4. Adongo violated the rule of seeking redress internally when he by-passed the governing board and wrote a letter reporting the Chief Executive Officer directly to the Minister, the Flagstaff House and others on the 13^th of October, 2015.

5. The Committee has also cited a letter on his file dated March 20, 2015 in which the then Ag. Executive Director complained of Mr. Adongo’s unruly behaviour which in our view depicts insubordination.

6. Mr. Adongo is often in the media, undermining the authority and thereby bringing the Youth Employment Agency to public ridicule and disrepute.

Jacob Adongo Atule has been rejected by the Board of the YEA

Yea Board Repot