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THE BRONG Ahafo Regional National Fire Service Officer, ACFO Paul Opoku became the laughing stock of people living in Techiman recently when he told a gathering there that for the eight years that the NPP was in power, not a single fire tender was supplied to the region.
He was speaking at the outdooring of a new fire tender for Techiman by Vice President John Mahama on Monday at the forecourt of the Omanhene’s palace.
The ceremony attracted chiefs, queen mothers, the B/A Regional Minister and the MP for Techiman South among other dignitaries.
Unknown to the regional fire officer, the people were already aware that during the NPP regime the Ghana National Fire Service in Techiman took delivery of a brand new fire tender which recently broke down and was taken to Sunyani for repairs.
The Vice President who was apparently misled by the fire boss was seen smiling and clapping when the man made the statement.
The following day, the host of Classic Fm’s Morning Show, Alhaji Tanko called up Paapa Owusu Ankomah, MP for Sekondi and former Minister of Interior who told listeners that the NPP actually imported several fire tenders into the country while in office and distributed them to certain districts including Techiman.
He wondered where the regional fire chief got the information that the NPP never gave the area a fire tender during its tenure. Nana Obiri Boahen, a Sunyani based lawyer who was a minister of state at the Interior Ministry during the Kufuor regime who also spoke on the radio programme advised people like ACFO Opoku to be truthful to themselves and refuse to fall into traps set by politicians. He said if the fire chief wanted to please the vice president for reasons best known to himself then the whole enterprise had backfired.
Several callers into the programme took Opoku to the cleaners, with some calling him unprintable names.
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE on the issue, John Donyina, the Techiman South NPP Communications Director said it is a disgrace for senior officers like ACFO Opoku to follow his stomach and tell lies.
He said even though the Ghana National Fire Service took delivery of a brand new fire tender, the NPP government did not see why it should spend huge sums of money to launch just one fire tender when the people needed other projects to assuage their economic woes.
He referred DAILY GUIDE to the long convoy of the Vice President and the show of wealth exhibited during the launch, saying “As for the NDC if they even donate a wheelbarrow, they will commission it.”
According to Mr. Donyina, not long ago, Mr. Mahama allegedly traveled all the way from Accra in a long convoy to cut a tape to open a slaughter house at Techiman Zongo amidst pomp and pageantry.
He therefore wondered what the Vice President will do if the government builds an abattoir at Techiman.
From Eric Bawah, Techiman
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