Stick of cigarette does the trick

Wa (Upper West), 10 March '99 -

It has been discovered that phone card users in Wa insert cigarette sticks into the phone booths to slow down the movement of units in order to reduce cost. Mr David Osei-Wusu, Upper West Regional Minister who made this revelation, said the practice has resulted in the breakdown of the systems in the community. A lot of money is being used to procure new equipment to the detriment of providing facilities for the expansion and improvement of telecommunications nation-wide. Mr Osei-Wusu was addressing the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs at a general meeting in Wa on Tuesday and called on them to help educate their people against the practice. He appealed to the people to sink ethnic pettiness in the interest of the development of the region and urged the chiefs to dispose of all chieftaincy disputes peacefully to enhance smooth development. Mr Osei-Wusu said Unit Committees are not a parallel authority to the traditional councils, but rather provide the structure in support of the chiefs. He announced that construction work on the Wa-Tumu road has been approved for tarring, and the construction of culverts on some other trunk roads in the region has also been awarded on contract. The government has also approved the establishment of a polytechnic in the region, and urged the chiefs to actively lead in the crusade to reverse the falling standards in education. Naa Bananwini Sandu, President of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of the Kaleo Traditional Area, expressed regret at the poor staffing of the secretariat of the House.