Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, has expressed concern over the theft of a battery from a tipper truck that is part of the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP) at Konongo in the Asante Akim Central Municipality.
He described the incident as unfortunate and promised that the ongoing investigation would bring the perpetrators to book.
The incident involved the DRIP equipment, which had been parked at the Asante Akim Central Municipal Assembly premises while awaiting the completion of training for machine operators.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Assafuah noted that even though there hasn’t been an official report at the ministry about the incident, it is unfortunate that the equipment under the project is being tempered with.
“In the interim, we have asked the assembly to report the matter to the police; I’m told that has been done. So, there is some amount of investigations ongoing. We hope to bring the perpetrators to book as soon as possible. We trust the Ghana police service to do what they do best.
“So, as we speak nothing official has come to the best of the local government,” he stated.
Assafuah elaborated that a five-member committee was established in each district to ensure the security of the equipment. This committee, chaired by the MMDCE and including the local Member of Parliament, the Works Department leader, and representatives from the 48 Engineer Regiment, is tasked with making the safeguarding of this equipment their top priority.
“So, this committee is supposed to ensure that safeguarding the equipment is their topmost priority. Maybe because this is so much at the early stages, we may have to as it were engage the committee to know what really transpired,” he stated.
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