Richard Kofi Attenkah
2 July 2009
Tema — After months of misunderstanding and confusion between the Ashaiman police and drivers, who are members of the Ashaiman branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), which led to the loss of precious lives, the two bodies have decided to bridge their differences, and stay more reconciled than before.
Consequently, over the weekend, the two bodies engaged one another in a friendly football encounter at the Don Bosco Vocational and Technical Institute at Ashaiman, to cement their reconciliation.
The drivers thrashed their police counterparts 3-2, in a match organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in collaboration with the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA), and TANNIK Ghana Limited.
Addressing the participants, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the ASHMA, Numo Adinotey Addison, declared his outfit's readiness to use sporting activities as a means of changing the dented image of Ashaiman.
According to him, the existence of various sporting activities in the municipality will help to create some sort of unity and togetherness among the people, adding that if continued, it would go a long way to redeem the image of Ashaiman in the eyes of public for good.
Mr. Adinotey Addison expressed the Assembly's deepest joy to be part of the fun games, since its aim was to encourage unity and foster togetherness among members of the two prominent groups in the area, whom most often collide with one another in the discharge of their official duties.
The MCE said the introduction of the annual fun games between the drivers and the police, has opened a new chapter in the history of road accident prevention in Ashaiman, and the country at large.
On her part, the District Director of the NCCE for the Ashaiman Municipality, Mrs. Dora Hammond, spelt out the functions of the commission, as formulating, implementing and overseeing programmes intended to inculcate in the citizen an awareness of their civic responsibilities, and an appreciation of their rights and obligations as a people.
She said her outfit, in accordance with Article 41 (1), which states: "To co-operate with lawful agencies in the maintenance of law and order," therefore thought it wise to collaborate with the other bodies to organise the football match between the two bodies.
She hinted that commercial drivers were a group of people, who come into regular contact with the police in the course of their daily duties, and therefore it was only appropriate that the Commission start a series of enhancing police-citizen relationship with them.
Mrs. Hammond indicated that the nature of the jobs members of the two teams do, cannot afford them the needed time for recreation, adding that the match would serve as a stress reliever for them.
The Tema Regional Police Commander, ACP Augustine Gyening, commended the NCCE for such a brilliant idea, saying that it was very appropriate for such activities to be held, to help create togetherness among the people.
He said the fun games was a way of cementing the new cordial relationship between the police and drivers, since the prevention of accidents on our roads, to a large extent, depends on how best they could tolerate each other in their lines of duty.
At the end of the match, the Ashaiman drivers went home with the coveted trophy, while players from both teams were presented with certificates of participation.
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