Ato Arthur Asks MMDAs To Check City Guards And Taskfoce Ahead Of Xmas
Dr Nana Ato Arthur, Head of the Local Government Service has directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Co-ordinating Directors in the Greater Accra Region to call their City Guards and Taskforce officers to order.
He has also charged them to investigate and expel City Guards and Taskforce officers engaged in extortion and misbehaviour within their various jurisdictions.
"Between now and December 2018, I want you as Co-ordinating Directors (CDs) to regulate the activities of City Guards and Taskforce officers through the engagement of their leaders to let them understand their role as required by law”.
Dr Ato Arthur gave the directives when he met the Co-ordinating Directors of the Greater Accra Region at his office in Accra.
The meeting was also for the Co-ordinating Directors to share best practices on management of the activities of the City Guards and Taskforce officers.
He recounted series of complains and agitations received from Public Officers, Chiefs and Market Women, especially from the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, on the misbehaviour of City Guards and Taskforce officers of Assemblies whose work are becoming a nuisance.
Dr Arthur said the extortions and misbehaviour of the City Guards and Taskforce officers were putting the names of Assemblies and by extension, Government, into disrepute and this he charged the Co-ordinating Directors to call them to order with immediate effect.
Dr Arthur urged Assemblies to strictly monitor the duty schedules of these officers, indicating the locations of assignment. They are also to be provided with name tags to ensure proper supervision.
He tasked the Co-ordinating Directors to turn the weakness of the City Guards and Taskforce officers to strengths by curbing their corrupt practices.
“As Co-ordinating Directors, you are the administrative heads of the MMDAs and responsible for controlling the activities and actions of the City Guards and Taskforce officers”.
Dr Ato Arthur reiterated the need for MMDAs to discharge their mandates including city decongestion with circumspection.
He noted that City Guards and Taskforce officers have their own ways of extorting money from market women and vehicle owners.
“The City Guards and Taskforce officers clamp vehicles haphazardly on the road and charge GHC150, they also take money indiscriminately from market women and that must stop”.
The Head of Service requested the Co-ordinating Directors to reintroduce the white shirt and black trousers uniform for the City Guards, in addition to name tags.
The Co-ordinating Directors pledged to strengthen supervision in addition to the introduction of measures to streamline activities of City Guards and Taskforce officers.
They were also assured of monitoring of officers and their designated locations in order to have up-to-date information on their operations and what transpired on daily basis.
“We will maintain City Guards to run the day-to-day activities of the Assemblies, whilst we will bring in the taskforce for special assignment”.
Source: modernghana.com
