New ADB Union Leadership Pledges Integrity, Reform

The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) Professional and Managerial Staff Union (PMSU) has entered a new chapter of leadership and institutional cooperation with the election of Mr James Obeng-Gyan as chairman. His election is widely seen as a turning point for staff welfare, internal cohesion, and strong management–union relations within the Bank.

At the 3rd Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Bank, Mr Obeng-Gyan delivered a passionate acceptance speech, which set a bold tone for the next four years. Guided by the theme, “A Decade of Solidarity, A Future of Impact: Repositioning ADB PMSU for Member Value and Institutional Excellence,” he expressed gratitude for the confidence reposed in him.

The new PMSU leader assured the Union that his leadership would be anchored on integrity, courage, and transparency. He emphasized that the strength of ADB rests not only on capital and infrastructure but on the people who drive its operations daily. Unionism, he stressed, must not be misinterpreted as antagonism but recognized as a strategic partner in the Bank’s growth.

“The PMSU is not an opponent of management; we are partners in building a stronger ADB. Staff morale is not a peripheral concern, it is the central engine of productivity and profitability,” he said to loud applause.

Mr Obeng-Gyan outlined a Four-Pillar Vision to guide his administration’s engagements and strengthen the welfare of staff across the institution. The agenda includes fostering deeper solidarity, promoting professional excellence, advancing evidence-based advocacy, and reinforcing the understanding that staff welfare is a long-term investment essential to institutional profitability. According to him, these pillars form the architecture of a modern, responsible, and impactful union.

He further pledged an era of operational transparency, structured dialogue with management, and the creation of a Standing Joint Negotiation Committee to resolve outstanding concerns constructively. Paying tribute to former leaders of the union, he said their sacrifices built the foundations that today’s officers must build upon with renewed commitment. “We have not been elected to occupy chairs; we have been entrusted to lead with clarity and conviction—to cross oceans and climb mountains in defense of fairness and dignity,” he declared.

His speech also carried a strong moral appeal to ADB’s management to embrace fair processes, build institutional trust, and humanize decision-making. Mr Obeng-Gyan reinforced this by calling for an end to internal factions, adding, “Let this victory unite us, not divide us. No more camps, no divisions, no whispering corridors. We are one union, one family, one destiny.”

Under his leadership, the PMSU aims to reposition itself as a model of responsible unionism—one that strengthens ADB’s institutional culture, deepens transparency, enhances employee well-being, and contributes meaningfully to the Bank’s sustainability agenda.

Other officers elected at the conference include Prince Osei Bremang (1st Vice), Ivey Sefakor Tettey (2nd Vice), Maclean Obeng Amoamah (Secretary), Sabina Asosika Osei (Assistant Secretary), Harry Ayensu Quaidoo (1st Trustee), and Kwabena Danso (2nd Trustee).