Ashaiman NDC supporters besiege assembly, assault Director

Ashaiman, Feb 10, GNA - About 30 supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ashaiman on Tuesday morning besieged the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (AMA) and attacked the Coordinating Director over management of public toilets. The Director, Mr Kwamina Akwa, was assaulted, had his spectacles destroyed and mobile phone snatched.

A City Guard of the TMA told the GNA that the NDC supporters, wearing party "T" shirts and displaying placards arrived in three vehicles and forced their way into the premises of the assembly. The guard, who wished to remain anonymous, said he informed the Ashaiman police but they failed to bring the situation under control. He said it took the intervention of the Ashaiman constituency chairman of the NDC, Mr Issifu Briamah, to disperse them.

The City Guard said the NDC supporters were returning from a court that heard the case involving the forcible take over of toilets filed by operators who were managing them during the NPP administration. The case was adjourned to February 17. The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Albert Boateng, was said to be out of office when the incident occurred.

Mr Ibrahim Baidoo, a member of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly, described the turn of events as unfortunate saying that the assembly should take a decision on the management of all the 18 public toilets at Ashaiman. He said ideally public toilets should be managed by the assemblies in order to mobilize funds for development. The Baidoo said those who took over the administration of the toilets do not pay commission to the assembly which is against the assembly's agreement.

NDC activists forcibly took over the administration of all the 18 public toilets in Ashaiman soon after the NDC won power in the December 2008 general election. He said nine years ago, people who were in charge of the toilets but mismanaged them, so the TMA took over the toilets and privatized them. He said it was placed on tender for bidding and those who won the contract were allowed to operate them.