The General Secretary of the Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union (MDU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, and the National Chairman of MDU, Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Baidoo, have emerged victorious for the second time in a court case filed by some members of the union.
The case, which began in 2019, questioned the eligibility of MDU leaders – Mr. Owusu-Koranteng and Alhaji Baidoo – to hold office and contest future elections.
According to sources close to the MDU, the litigation has been fuelled mainly by two disgruntled members of staff at the Secretariat of MDU who have teamed up with a few members of some local unions of MDU to create chaos in the union.
After a long-standing litigation, the High Court (Labour Division) in Accra dismissed the claims of Bright Ampofo (Plaintiff), who is a staff member of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).
The court awarded costs of GHC 30,000 against Mr. Bright Ampofo in favour of Mr. Owusu-Koranteng and Mr. Baidoo (Defendants) on March 18, 2024.
The then Secretary-General of TUC, Dr. Yaw Baah, was tasked to manage the affairs of MDU until the court gave a ruling.
Following the court’s ruling, the TUC Secretary-General, Dr. Yaw Baah, organised a handing-over ceremony to officially return the management of MDU to its rightful leaders, Mr. Owusu-Koranteng and Alhaji Baidoo.
However, just as the ceremony was about to end, two other members of MDU – Isaac Klu and Felix Nartey – who are employees of GPHA, appeared with a new court order, attempting to restrain them from acting in their capacities.
This move sparked another round of litigation, which ultimately led to a ruling by the High Court (Labour Division) in Accra on May 9, 2025.
The court, presided over by Justice Enyonam Adinyira, ultimately dismissed the new suit, describing it as “frivolous, vexatious, and an abuse of the court process” and awarded costs of GHC 10,000 against the Plaintiffs in favour of the defendants – Mr. Owusu-Koranteng and Alhaji Baidoo.
The court also noted that the claims in the new suit were attempts to delay the enforcement of the previous judgment, which had already been conclusively settled. The court further observed that the continuous litigation by some people was deliberately orchestrated to prevent respected people of the MDU from contesting the upcoming national elections, fearing they would be re-elected due to their achievements.
The MDU leadership has been vindicated, and their legitimacy to lead the union has been upheld by the court.
The union’s leaders have been recognised as the rightful office holders, and their achievements and sacrifices for the union have been acknowledged.
Ghanaian RADAR gathered that the court’s ruling has been hailed by the majority of the MDU members who have been seriously affected by the prolonged litigation.
The leadership of MDU has the support of the mass of the MDU members, and their re-election is anticipated due to their great achievements for the union during their leadership period. With these rulings, the MDU can focus on its core mission, and its leaders can continue to serve the union without interruption.
Story By: Dennis Ato Keelson
