NDC chairman condemns seizure of toilets

… By supporters
Posted: The Chronicle Tuesday, February 17, 2009
By Charles Takyi-Boadu

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the actions of some of its supporters who have virtually taken the law into their own hands by harassing people since the party won the elections.
Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, Mr. Daniel Anang has asked supporters of the party who are involved in such acts of victimisation against people perceived to be members or supporters of the previous governing party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), especially those in charge of public facilities, like toilets.
In an interview with this reporter, he expressed grave concern about the ongoing development and appealed to their supporters to allow the laws of the land to take its course.
“To be truthful to you, when we talk about the public toilets, what has happened so far and from what I’ve heard so far, that our people are just taking over and beating people up, I don’t think I’m happy with it”, he emphasised.
For him, “it is the worse form of take-over that I will want any NDC person to do.” According to him, a few of the constituencies are aware of his stand on the issue.
That notwithstanding, he noted that the NDC as a party has come out to caution members against any such acts, in order to allow for further scrutiny into the activities and operations of most of these public facilities.
After filling all the positions of Chief Executive of Public corporations and assemblies, he noted that they will take a closer look at it, so that when it is necessary for a take-over, they will do it without delay.
“So going to take-over toilets by force doesn’t do anyone any good, I think I’m not happy with what is happening and some of my people know my stand”, he noted.
He noted that he was the first to speak against some of these incidents of take-over of public toilet facilities when they occurred in places like Nima and Ashaiman, all suburbs of Accra.
The Regional Chairman of the NDC advised members and supporters of the party who are involved in such acts to desist from doing so, since it has the tendency of affecting the image of the party.
Whilst appreciating the reasons given by some of their supporters for seizing these toilet facilities, in that they were running them until the NPP took power in the year 2001, Mr. Anang noted that it was not the best of practices, saying “you don’t pay evil for evil, you don’t have to do that.”
For him, those involved should look at the leader of the party before going to carry out some of these actions, since he is a man of peace and deplores elements of violence.
Though he conceded that it might be a form of employment for some of them, he asked the supporters to allow government to look at the existing agreements between government and those running these public toilet facilities, so that the transfer of the facilities will be done with some sense of civility.