Thursday, 15 April 2010 Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asuogyaman constituency of the Eastern region, Love Joy Dusi, together with some of his executive members and NDC youth in the area, yesterday took over the toll booths at the popular Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku in a military fashion.

They chased away the toll operators from the Ghana Highways Authority in spite of the directive issued by President Atta Mills that the police should deal ruthlessly with such lawless party members.

Four hours after taking over the toll booths with their own printed tickets, they were rounded up by the Akosombo Police, led by ASP Issah Mohammed Cantona, in line with the President’s directive and sent to the Regional Police headquarters in Koforidua to be processed for court.

The angry NDC faithful, who said they were taking over the collection of tolls at the bridge to avoid wastage in the system and ensure efficiency, took the action after they failed to convince the police at Akosombo to undertake a peaceful demonstration against the toll collectors at the Adomi Bridge.

After they were arrested, monies collected at the Juapong end of the bridge which they took over at about 8.15 am yesterday 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, have been seized by the police to be used as exhibits in court.

The District Police commander was so mad at the action of the NDC boys and said it does not only amount to lawlessness but also naked robbery.

“This is complete lawlessness and an attempt to rob the state,” ASP Cantona said and accused the District Chief Executive of supporting the action of the NDC activists.

According to him, the constituency chairman told him on Monday April 12 that some NDC faithful in the constituency were not happy about the way the tolls were being managed at the Adomi Bridge and wanted to demonstrate against the operators yesterday.

But he told them that they needed five days after official application before the planned demonstration could take place with police protection.

“I did not know that their planned demonstration yesterday was a planned military takeover of the Adomi Bridge, which is really unacceptable”.

He indicated that after receiving the information of the forceful take-over, he informed the Divisional Commander who also informed the Regional Commander, and an order was given for their immediate arrest.

“We the police will ensure that there is law and order in the country under any government and will therefore not condone any lawlessness,” he said.

When DAILY GUIDE spoke to the constituency chairman, he said it was the district assembly which was taking over the running of the toll booths and as the chairman of the sub-committee on finance and administration at the assembly, he organized about 20 men from his party to take over.

“We did not use any force. We just told the operators to leave the place because they are thieves and cannot be trusted,” he said.

According to him, the people working there were causing serious financial loss to the NDC government and needed to be booted out.

“Monies being collected here are going into private pockets and we will not sit down to allow this to continue. The bridge is weak and the NDC government needs money to rehabilitate it so we are taking over to manage it properly”.

Mr Dusi told DAILY GUIDE that money collected will be lodged into a special account at the Ghana Commercial Bank at Akosombo.

“We want to prove that the people here are stealing our money and that in a week we will declare what we have gotten from here,” he said.

According to him, the assembly does not have any percentage in the monies being collected at the toll booths.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that under the NPP, it was a private person who was contracted to collect the tolls but upon agitations, the management was reverted to the Ghana Highways Authority who currently have their men manning the booths.

The Eastern Regional Director of the Ghana Highways Authority, Francis Hammond who came to the scene after the arrest, was shocked at the action of the NDC youth.

He stated that the management of the toll is under the Ghana Highways Authority and that all the money collected is lodged into the Road Fund account.

“We file a daily and monthly report to the Ghana Road Fund and so they are aware of whatever is going on here,” he said, adding that since all the tickets have serial and identification numbers, it is not possible for any operator at the booth to misappropriate any money.

“We hope the police will take this matter seriously since it is a criminal action by these people”.

The regional director said on the average, GH¢2,500 is collected at the Adomi Bridge every day.

DAILY GUIDE intelligence discovered that the action of the NDC constituency chairman stems from the fact that the NDC youth in the constituency have been complaining about lack of jobs for them since their party came into power.

From Thomas Fosu Jnr, Atimpoku