‘Arrest Accra Mayor’

Nana Annor Amihere, Executive Director of Safety Ghana, has launched a scathing attack on the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, for flouting road safety regulations with impunity.

According to him, the Accra Mayor does not have the right to use motorcade or blow siren when plying the roads in the city.

Nana Amihere, who made this observation to DAILY GUIDE, after a press conference organized by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in Accra, said the action of the mayor was clearly against the law and therefore he must be arrested because the law does not permit him or anybody to use motorcade, except the president of Ghana.

Nana Amihere, who is also the chief of Aryinasi in the Elembelle district of the Western Region, noted that institutions that have been permitted to use sirens are the National Ambulance Service and the National Fire Service, stating that “Apart from them nobody is allowed to use sirens”.

According to him, “The police have not given Oko Vanderpuije permission to use motorcade so why is he using it and why are they not arresting him?”

The traditional ruler noted, “The Mayor cannot be allowed to do whatever he likes in the country. The laws of the country must be obeyed irrespective of who you are or the position you hold.

He blasted Ministers and deputy ministers who also use siren and motorcades. “Who gave them the right to flaunt the laws of Ghana,” Nana queried and added, “If they do that with the excuse that they are in a hurry then who should be in the traffic? Who in the traffic is not in a hurry?”

Nana Amihere said they were voted into power to serve the people not to lord over them.

He called on government to put sustainable measures in place to develop the country to ensure that the traffic situation eases.

The Accra Mayor was recently in the news for allegedly ordering his bodyguard – who has since been identified as Lance Corporal George Akunor – to impound a vehicle belonging to Lawyer Nii Akwei Bruce-Thompson in a typical Hollywood style, with the police officer alleged to have shot the tyres of the vehicle.

The incident was said to have taken place in front of the famous Mantse Agbonaa Park in Jamestown, Accra, in broad daylight.

Oko Vanderpuije has since denied that he ordered the bodyguard to shoot the tyres of lawyer’s car.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bruce-Thompson has indicated that he would not rest until the appropriate action had been taken against the police officer.