Taxi driver to send government to court

A taxi driver who claims he was knocked down by President Atta Mills' convoy is threatening court action against the government.

Kofi Duodo says the incident happened during the president's last visit to the Central Region in March.

A Daily Guide publication on Saturday said Duodu, who stormed the offices of the newspaper on Friday expressed grave disappointment at President Mills' "inability to cater for his hospital expenses even though he had earlier promised to bear the cost of his treatment."

"According to him, all efforts to contact the Central Regional Minister, Ama Benyiwa Doe, to consider his plight, had proved futile, adding that since his predicament, he had only been given GH¢500 which had not been able to cover all his hospital expenses.

The following is the rest of the story published by the paper.

Mr Duodo, who wept bitterly at the DAILY GUIDE office, said even though the Regional Coordinating Council in a letter dated May 12, 2009 gave him the permission to go for treatment at the Koforidua Catholic Hospital for them to foot the bill, they had totally refused to pay the cost of GH¢895.81 he incurred, as well as his personal cost of GH¢666.

He alleged that he went to Mrs. Benyiwa Doe to address his problem but she asked him to go and look for the motor rider who knocked him down at Adisadel in Cape Coast.

"How can she say that to me when the same motor which crippled me was leading their convoy? I'm an NDC sympathiser so if they are doing this to me how much more an NPP person?" he lamented.

He indicated that he was asked to report again at the hospital; but because government had refused to pay the first bill, he could not go for the second treatment.

He expressed concern about the way the former Central Regional Propaganda Secretary, Allotey Jacob, went on air calling him a liar when he (Allotey) had personally visited him at home to beg him not to let the issue go public since President Mills was ready to cater for him.

"He even collected my number, saying that President Mills had indicated that he would call me so I should expect his call," he added.

He thanked the president of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusie who offset some of the cost of his initial hospital expenses.

Duodo lamented that due to his predicament, he could no longer go about his normal day-to-day activities since he was incapacitated. Meanwhile, DAILY GUIDE has learnt that the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast, Ebo Barton-Odro, has asked Duodo to petition the President for the issue to be addressed.

As at the time of filing this story, a copy of the petition had already been sent to the MP's office for the necessary action to be taken.

From Sarah Afful, Cape Coast