The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, has faced repeated public criticism in her nine months in office.

Her aggressive drive to decongest Accra and clear waterways through demolition exercises has already divided opinion.

But what has sparked even sharper backlash are her public utterances, which have, on several occasions, stirred national debate.

Here are three key instances where the minister’s pronouncements have triggered controversy:

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1. Promise to fix street lights

Upon assuming office, Linda Ocloo promised to repair 70% of Accra’s streetlights within 50 days.

At the end of her deadline, she declared the target met.

“I can confidently say that my 50-day target has been fulfilled. A total of 129 streetlights have been successfully repaired, ensuring better visibility and security in our communities,” she said at a press briefing in March 2025.

Her comments, however, drew swift criticism from residents who complained that many parts of the capital remained in darkness.

Roads such as the N1 Highway from Tetteh Quarshie to Lapaz and Spintex Road were cited as examples.

In a subsequent press conference, Ocloo gave Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) a two-week ultimatum to fix streetlights in their areas.

2 Vote-buying comments

During the rerun of the 2024 parliamentary elections in parts of the Ablekuma North constituency, Ocloo attracted criticism over her remarks on alleged vote-buying.

In an interview on JoyNews on July 11, 2025, she said, “Every election, there’s vote buying. So, if we are buying votes, they should also buy their votes. We have members who travelled all the way from Kumasi, and they have to come and vote. So, if such people come, you have to give them T&T to go and vote. I don’t think it’s vote buying. So, if you think it’s vote buying, you too go and buy their votes. It’s as simple as that.”

She argued that reimbursing supporters’ transport expenses was not unethical and did not compromise electoral integrity.

“Which one is integrity? If someone is loyal to you, why not? The person will vote for you with or without money. Giving the person T&T is not vote buying,” she added.

3. ‘Woezor’ vs ‘Akwaaba’ comments

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Her latest controversy came after the debate over replacing the “Woezor” signage at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park with “Akwaaba.”

Speaking to journalists on August 28, 2025, Ocloo questioned why an Ewe greeting should headline signage in Accra, stressing that Ga culture must be respected.

“This is Greater Accra. Greater Accra is for the Ga people. I mean, how can we sit in Greater Accra and expect Woezor? Woezor is for the Voltarians. They have legitimate concerns, and I will support them, why not?” she said.

She later doubled down on her stance in a social media post, “It’s Ga-Adangme land, I’m a regional minister… I protect the values of all Ga-Adangmes because Greater Accra isn’t just about being a capital. Culturally, we have to accord some high level of respect! It’s a cultural setting. Respect it.”

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