Samuel Atta Kyea
The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South in the Eastern Region, Samuel Atta Kyea, has described as shameful the decision by the police to prevent the Eastern Regional House of chiefs from protesting about the bad roads in the region.
According to the MP, the police were ‘totally out of order’ in stopping the chiefs from expressing the concerns of their people.
Atta Kyea, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE noted that the police should not intimidate the chiefs, adding that they should stop engaging in politics and rather do proper policing, since the chiefs are not holding guns to attack anybody or embark on a mass demonstration, but just to express their grievances against government.
The law maker said it is very shameful for the police to stop the chiefs from touring their jurisdictions to inspect the deplorable roads in the region.
‘See, my brother, among all the regions, where you can locate the bad roads in the country is the Eastern Region. So why shouldn’t the chiefs be allowed to speak about it?’ Atta Kyea asked.
Due to these grievances, Annor Dompreh, the MP for Adoagyiri/ Nsawam constituency, who doubles as the Eastern MP Caucus Secretary noted that ‘it is unfortunate for the police to go against the chiefs when the constitution gives every Ghanaian the mandate to express their displeasure.’
He noted that the Minority caucus had decided to embark on a demonstration against the government adding that the MP’s would team up with the chiefs for the protest.
‘The police in no way can prevent the chiefs, because the police are to protect but not to give the green light to stop the chiefs in any way,’ he said.
Hon Annor Dompreh further stated that he would meet with his colleague MP’s from the Eastern Region and see to it that the right thing was done.
Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Okyenhene and President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, had expressed his intention to lead a group of chiefs and Members of Parliament to inspect roads in the region, most of which are in very deplorable state.
The roads are so bad that during a recent working visit to the region, President John Mahama had to abandon the use of his fleet of vehicles and rather chose to fly in a helicopter throughout his visit.
When the chiefs complained to the President about the bad roads, he reportedly told them that the Eastern Region roads were not exceptional and that the people of the Upper East Region also had similar concerns.
It was during the said visit that he described Kyebi, home of the Okyenhene, as the ‘headquarters of ‘galamsey’ in the country,’ provoking a swift rebuttal from some sub-chiefs in the region who expressed disappointment in the President’s comment.
The one-day tour was expected to be rounded up with a public and press engagement at the Suhum roundabout at 11:00 am on Monday July 21, 2014, where the Okyenhene would address the gathering on developmental challenges in the region as well as expectations. A petition is expected to be presented to the President for a collaborative effort with traditional authorities to redress the burning issues.
However, the Eastern Region Police Command has written a letter to the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, preventing them from inspecting the roads and engaging the media briefing on Monday at Suhum.
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FROM Daniel Bampoe
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