The Ahanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, has fought back against comments made by Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua, Seth Osei-Akoto, concerning the DRIP equipment.
The MP, in an interview with Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM, had accused the regional minister of taking away the equipment that was used for road repairs.
He said the roads in the constituency were in a bad state due to the decision taken by the regional minister.
However, in a swift response and setting the records straight, the minister provided details as to how the DRIP equipment can be accessed, insisting that it does not fall within his mandate where and how the equipment is being used.
He disclosed that the equipment for the said constituency had not been withdrawn and was very shocking that the Member of Parliament who should know better will be involved in such propaganda.
In a six-point rebuttal, the minister said, “1. My attention has been drawn to comments attributed to the Hon. Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua concerning the District Road Improvement Programme, DRIP.
2. For the avoidance of doubt, DRIP operates under a designated national and regional secretariat, which is responsible for the coordination, deployment, and monitoring of all equipment.
3. These machines are not controlled at the discretion of any Regional Minister. It is therefore misleading and regrettable for a person of the Hon. Member’s stature to make such unfounded claims and seek to wrongly attribute responsibility to the Regional Minister.
4. Further to this, a prompt verification with the DRIP Secretariat confirms that the Atwima Mponua District Assembly currently has the full complement of DRIP equipment officially allocated to it. No DRIP machines assigned to Atwima Mponua have been withdrawn or diverted.
5. In the interest of transparency and accountability, we respectfully call on the Hon. Member of Parliament to publish a clear list of specific DRIP machines he claims are bona fide assets of the Atwima Mponua District and which he alleges have been wrongfully taken away.
6. We remain committed to facts, collaboration, and the shared objective of improving road infrastructure for the people of Atwima Mponua and the Ashanti Region at large.
