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Regional News of Wednesday, 7 September 2011

Source: Samuel Ablordeppey

Stop Dividing US- Taxi Drivers Cautions NPP

Some Taxi drivers in Accra have called on the New Patriotic
Party (NPP) and Nana Akufo Addo to stop using Cab drivers as a decoy to achieve
political power.
According to the drivers it’s becoming uncomfortable as the
biggest opposition party has chosen to politicise virtually everything in the
country.
The drivers said what angered them was a letter of invitation
from a supposed NPP Drivers Association signed by one Edward Aboagye describing
himself as the regional
secretary of the Association inviting the drivers to partake in the demonstration
being organised by the youth
group of the NPP the young patriots.
A worried secretary of the Banana Inn Taxi drivers union Michael
Adansi tells Radio Gold he was worried when he saw the letter.
‘’why? Ooh Why? Does the NPP want to rope poor taxi drivers
in their politics, must someone or a group of people tell a fellow person or
group to embark on a demonstration against hardship and mismanagement, if the
situation is bad we drivers will also organise we really do not need anybody to
tell or show us whom to vote of support. We have a mind of our own; we can see
and feel too’’ Mr. Adansi said.
He said, drivers are working and thinking of getting their
daily bread to feed their families and do not really care about politics.
Mr. Michael Adansi intimated that drivers do not have
political organisations and finds it unfortunate for a faceless member of the
NPP to write a letter inviting them to ‘’Ahokyere’’ Demonstration, ‘’look here
my brother driving is our noble profession and we are managing with it, we beg
tell them to leave Taxi Drivers alone’’.
‘’I want to urge all my colleagues in and across the country
to ignore any invitation that tends to label us politically and to also add
that we are not ready to demonstrate against government’’. He added.
He indicated that his association was not very happy with the
invitation for that reason the Union decided to make it public for Ghanaians to
know what is happening.
He called on Taxi drivers to go about their normal work and
think of satisfying the house and forget about the NPP and their demonstration.
‘’We are very appalled by these developments where
politicians try to use every little advantage to paint people in their
political colours but please note that once bitten twice shy’’ Michael Adansi
further added.

When Radio Gold contacted the Greater Accra regional
secretary of the NPP Taxi drivers Association Edward Aboagye on whether or not
the NPP’s party structures recognise such a grouping, he nodded in the
affirmative.

‘’The NPP party authorities are aware of the group and they
support it’’ Mr. Adansi contended.
In a bid to ask him further questions the regional secretary
of the NPP Taxi drivers Association Edward Aboagye hanged the line rather
disparagingly.