Wacam, a human rights, environmental and mining advocacy
non-governmental organization, has condemned Baker Hughes, a US Oilfield
service company operating in Ghana, for allegedly neglecting its legal
responsibility to provide adequate long term specialised medical care for
Andrew Boateng, its Ghanaian employee.
A press statement signed
by Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, Associate Executive Director of Wacam, said:
“Andrew Boateng is a Mechanical Engineer, who graduated from the University of
Mines and Technology (UMaT) in 2006 and was recruited in Ghana to work with
Baker Hughes Ghana after working with Goldfields Ghana Limited Projects
Department for some time.
“His schedule involved
rotational work in Gabon, Ghana and Congo and he was on an official international
assignment in Gabon when he had an accident in the official vehicle of the
Company at Port-Gentil in April 2014.
“Andrew Boateng
sustained severe head and body injuries and was airlifted to Johannesburg for
emergency treatment. He was moved twice to various medical facilities without
the consent of his family.
“Since May 2015, Andrew
Boateng has been dumped in a Serenity Home, a nursing home for the aged in
Johannesburg without appropriate care or rehabilitation with specialised
medical staff. Andrew Boateng suffered further head injury when he fell from
his bed and has not received medical check-up after falling from his bed.
According to the
statement, Baker Hughes was ignoring requests from Andrew Boateng’s family
members and lawyer for specialised emergency care and attention and to
investigate the cause for the head injury as a result of falling from his bed.
“Andrew Boateng has not been given proper medical care and food at the current
home for the aged. He cannot talk, walk nor eat by himself without support. He
needs urgent specialised attention. Andrew Boateng is currently surviving on
the benevolence of individuals”.
“Baker Hughes publicly
proclaims that ‘Corporate Social Responsibility is central to our core values.
We conduct our business in an ethical and responsible way’. The Andrew
Boateng’s case is not merely an issue of Corporate Social Responsibility but an
obligation on the Company to respect the right of its workers to fairness and
appropriate medical care; especially in the case of Andrew Boateng, who had
this accident on the job.
“Where is Baker Hughes
commitment to care for the communities and people? Where is Baker Hughes
commitment to respect ALL Human rights and lives? Where is Baker Hughes
commitment to its own core values, business ethics and business code of conduct
in the case of Andrew Boateng?” the statement queried.
It continued: “We are
aware of the on-going discussions between Baker Hughes and Halliburton on the
acquisition of Baker Hughes in December 2015 and we have reasons to believe
that the attitude of Baker Hughes in the Andrew Boateng’s case is influenced by
the possible acquisition of Baker Hughes by Halliburton.
“We condemn the attitude
of Baker Hughes as irresponsible and a corporate crime committed against Andrew
Boateng. We do not think that an expatriate staff from the Company’s home
country, the US, who suffers the same fate would be abandoned in a home of the
aged for over one year.
“We condemn the
discrimination against local staff who, work in multinational companies.
“We demand that Baker
Hughes takes immediate action to send Andrew Boateng to a specialised brain
injury medical facility in the USA for specialised medical care and
rehabilitation in accordance with the proclaimed core values of Baker Hughes.
The statement called on
CSOs, Trade Unions, Faith-Based organisations, government agencies and all
Ghanaians to join the struggle to get Baker Hughes to act responsibly in saving
Andrew Boateng.
“Andrew Boateng cannot
speak for himself and we must speak for him”, it declared. GNA
-Vibe Ghana
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