Mills Rewards ‘Armed Robbers’

The youth of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who run riot together with their Chairman, Love Joy Dusi, in the Asuogyaman constituency of the Eastern region, and chased away toll booth operators of the Ghana Highways Authority at the popular Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku, have been rewarded and appointed as the official care-takers of the booths.

They have been constituted into a taskforce and were commissioned on Sunday to oversee the activities of collecting tolls. They were sworn into office by the District Chief Executive with the help of the District Highway authorities, and to collect the revenue on behalf of the assembly and the Highways authorities.

Instead of prosecuting the culprits for taking over an asset of the state illegally, they have been rewarded after they were granted bail whilst the Divisional Police Commander, ASP Issah Mohammed Cantona, has been called to Accra.

The constituency chairman who happens to be the chairman of the sub-committee on Finance and Administration of the District Assembly had organized about 20 young men to take over the booth a couple of weeks ago through brute force. He is however not facing the law, making nonsense of the President’s directive that the police should deal pitilessly with such lawless party members.

The irate youth and the Chairman who took over the booth claimed that the monies being collected were going into private pockets and not helping the ‘Better Ghana’ course the President has embarked on.
They also noted that they were taking over the collection of tolls at the bridge to avoid wastage in the system and ensure efficiency.
Yesterday, efforts by this newspaper to contact the DCE prove fruitless as he refused to answer the eight (8) calls placed on his phone even though text messages were dispatched earlier before the call.
When the sector Minister was called to comment, Hon. Joe Gidisu said ‘I am outside the country and would be returning next week’.
It would be re-called that some angry NDC faithfuls chased away the toll operators and after they were arrested, monies collected at the Juapong end of the bridge which they took over at about 8.15 am could not be accounted for but they were able to collect GH¢859 at the Atimpoku end of the bridge.
The money together with the fake tickets in the name of the Asuogyaman District Assembly was seized by the police to be used as exhibits in court.