Let’s work together to develop Accra - Henry Quartey

Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, has called on Members of Parliament (MPs) in the region to put their political leanings aside and work together for its development.

“This is the time that we have to come together, devoid of our political leanings, and work together to get Accra going,” he said.

Mr Quartey made the appeal when he met with MPs from the region to solicit their ideas and get their backing on various programmes he intends to roll-out.

The engagement was also to seek the support of the legislators and get their input in the “Let’s Make Accra Work Again” project to be launched within the next three weeks and come out with a working document for the region.

The Greater Accra Region has 34 seats of which the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won 20 and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won 14 in the 2020 general election.

Mr Quartey, who is also the MP for Ayawaso Central, informed his colleagues that on April 12 he intended to embark on a project, dubbed: “Operation Clean Your Frontage,” which would start at 0600 to 1000 hours.

He said it was mandatory for all residents within Greater Accra to take part in the clean-up exercise, which would be monitored by the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and sanction the recalcitrant.

“When Operation Clean Your Frontage becomes successful, then the last Friday of every month would be set aside for that exercise,” he said.

Mr Quartey expressed concern about the growing indiscipline in terms of flouting sanitation and traffic regulations, adding: “The indiscipline in Accra is just too much. The sanitation situation and traffic congestion are not a pleasant scene.”

The MPs present at the meeting took turns to raise the problems affecting their constituencies such as flooding, increase in crimes, traffic congestion, and poor roads.

Mr Alfred Oko Vanderpuje, the MP for Ablekuma South, lauded the Minister for his initiative to unite all the MPs to work for the development of the region.

He urged the Minister to continue to work with them and stand firm by his conviction and initiatives to develop the area.

“I have been there before as a Mayor, because I know the phone calls you will get, I know the meetings they will come and have with you. But I hope you will stand firm and say that for the sake of the region you want the right things to be done,” he said.

Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communication and MP for Ablekuma West, called for support from the political leadership, the legislators and residents to enable the Minister to succeed.

She said the indiscipline and increasing filth in Accra were some of the major problems and urged the Regional Minister to liaise with the Ministry of Works and Housing to find a lasting solution to the perennial flooding.