The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey and the Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Theophilus Tetteh Chaie have clashed over the decision to ban the use of tricycles, popularly known as ‘aboboyaa’ on the motorway.
The two gentlemen on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem programme Tuesday bantered for and against the directive which according to the Minister is to ensure sanity on the motorway.
Justifying his position, Mr Chaie said the Minister is implementing the policy from bottom-up.
He explained that, without the provision of dumping sites for the ‘aboboyaa’, banning them from using the motorway will be null and void.
“I’m at Ablekuma Central and there is no dumping site so where does the Minister want these ‘aboboyaa’ to dump the refuse? We should not put the cat before the horse,” he fumed.
He said as stakeholders in Greater Accra, their interest is to ensure the state resources are not wasted on a policy that will rob people of their bread and butter.
“At a stakeholders forum with the Minister, we agreed that, before the ban, they will provide a dumping site and register the ‘aboboyaa’ within the district assemblies but it has not been done. Preventing them from doing their work is going to be difficult,” he stressed.
The NDC man urged Mr Quartey to take their criticisms in good faith and not see them as a personal attack.
In a quick rebuttal, the Greater Accra Regional Minister expressed shock at the assertions by the NDC man.
According to him, at a meeting where Mr Chae was present, they agreed to build dumping sites in all 29 Assemblies next year.
“Tetteh Chaie is misleading the public; in his constituency at Ablekuma Central, there is a dumping site there so why is he lying?” he fumed.
Mr Quartey revealed that the NDC asked him to give the tricycle operators 60 days grace period before the outright ban on all highways but he decided to extend it to 90 days to give them ample time to prepare.
“Tetteh Chaie is being very unfair and playing politics with this national exercise. It is very unfortunate,” the Minister bemoaned.
This notwithstanding, Mr Quartey said he remains resolute and very focused to make Accra a clean city.
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