A senior communications officer with the JOSPONG Group of companies, Francis Abirgo has refuted allegations making rounds that one of its subsidiaries, Zoomlion Ghana Limited is forcing its employees in the Jirapa Municipality to attend the Pentecost Church of Ghana otherwise face some form of punishment.
Mr. Abirgo denied these allegations outrightly but explained that it is the custom of the company to hold thanksgiving service at the end of each year, a tradition which has been going on for years.
Throwing more light on the tradition, he said it is a weeklong religious exercise that climaxes at the end of the week it begun and could be celebrated in a church or a mosque.
He indicated that this year’s climax was celebrated Jospong Group Head Office in Accra and at our Regional Offices on Thursday and then the Executive Chairman, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong led staff and friends of the Jospong brand to pray in a new mosque the Chief I am built in Ablekuma in the Greater Accra Region.
Mr. Abirigo said the National Chief Imam, Dr. Sheikh Osumanu Nuhu Sharubutu interceded in muslin prayers where the Executive Chairman of the JOSPONG Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong was in attendance with his delegation.
This comes against the backdrop that Zoomlion Ghana Limited was forcing its employees in the Jirapa Municipality to switch their religious allegiance to the Pentecost Church of Ghana.
Head pastor of the Pentecost Church here in Jirapa, Pastor Mordecai Jadaan Jagbier corroborated Mr. Abirgo’s submission explaining that though the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies is an elder of the church there has not been any directive to the best of his knowledge to compel any individual or group of people to be members of his congregation.
He also refuted allegations that an attendance register was being kept at the church premises to check attendance but explained that because workers came came to the church straight from home that day, management of Zoomlion thought it prudent to bring along their routine daily attendance register to mark saving them the time and effort to go back to the office to mark the register.
Mr. Francis Abirigo noted that Zoomlion’s staff base is a mixeture of all religions without discrimination.
Indeed during Ramadan each year, staff of Zoomlion usually led by the Executive Chairman or the Managing Director who is an Elder of the Pentecost Church visits the Chief Imam with gifts to support him take care of the needy Muslims to be able to celebrate the feast.
“Anybody who suggest he or she is forced to join the Church of Pentecostal because of Zoomlion therefore is far from the truth.
For example, I am a confirmed Catholic and I have been working with Zoomlion for well over 15 years without any hindrance about religious orientation he emphasised”.
