An Accra Fast Track High Court on Tuesday granted
an application for directions filed by 84 former National Security personnel under the former NPP administration whose appointments were terminated by the NDC Government.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice C.J. Honyenuga, an Appeal Court Judge, said although the National Security Coordinator and the
Attorney-General were served with copies of the application, they failed to respond.
The application was whether their appointments were terminated because
of the perception that they were political appointees of the NPP and were
they entitled to end-of-service benefits.
Mr Justice Honyenuga ordered parties in the case to exchange documents they intended to rely on 10 days prior to the adjourned date.
The court adjourned the case to December 17 and awarded GH¢300 costs each against the National Security Coordinator and the Attorney-General.
Captain Nkrabeah Effah Darteh (Rtd), counsel for the security personnel, prayed for 1,000 Ghana cedis costs against the defendants for
their continued non-appearance in court.
In a suit filed the personnel were seeking a declaration that they were entitled to end-of-service benefits upon the termination of their
appointments, consistent with the conditions governing their employment as staff of the National Security Secretariat.
They are also seeking an order compelling the defendants to pay their benefits.
In their statement of claim, they contended that they are citizens of Ghana and were employed as regular staff of the National Security Council.
They averred that although they lost their jobs because of the change of political leadership, President John Evans Atta Mills acknowledged "their dedicated and loyal service to the State".
According to them, in partial fulfilment of the conditions governing the termination of their appointments, they were each paid three months
salary in lieu of notice.
They, therefore, petitioned for payment of their end-of-service benefits but that was ignored and letters written by their solicitor did not yield any result.
The personnel said unless the court intervened, the defendants would not heed their demands.
However, the National Security Coordinator has contended that the three months salary paid to them represented the "full amount due the personnel in case of disengagement between them and the National Security Council."
The Council also has denied that the personnel are entitled to end-of-service benefits as part of their conditions of service.