John Dumelo to seek permit from Ayawaso to continue dredging drains
The actor-cum-politician was ordered to stop clearing drains in the municipality and observe due process
John Dumelo has declared that he is ready to seek permission from Ayawaso Municipal Assembly following the suspension of his work to dredge drains in the municipality.
The young politician had intended to dredge a gutter in the West Legon area which often causes flooding.
He hired some excavators to undertake the exercise, which began last Friday and was scheduled to take three days.
However, on Wednesday, he reported that the assembly had ordered him to put a stop to the exercise until he is granted approval. The suggestion was that the assembly is trying to prevent him from doing the work.
“I need to be there for the people”
Dumelo, who is the parliamentary candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Ayawaso West Wuogon, said he is determined to serve the constituents.
Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, he said he is ready to seek permission from the municipal assembly to continue dredging the drains.
“I will write [to the Ayawaso West Assembly] to continue [dredging] because I need to save lives and my people’s property,” he said.
“It is the community that came to me and said, ‘John, can you dredge for us?’ So as soon as they came to me, I brought the excavators the following day to start the work, because I need to be there for the people and it is from the people’s request that I will act.
“So, if the people say I should come and do something for them I will do it. If I require certain permission which I know, I will go and ask for permission, not permission to go and dredge a gutter when lives are being lost and properties are being destroyed.
“I need to be there for the people.”
Assembly issues rebuttal
Meanwhile, Ayawaso Municipal Assembly has denied claims that it ordered Dumelo to stop dredging the drains.
A statement signed by the municipal chief executive for Ayawaso, Sandra Owusu-Ahinkorah, described the reports as false.
The assembly explained that it only advised Dumelo to “liaise appropriately with departments at the assembly for effective supervision”.
“In the case regarding Mr Dumelo, he is dredging a major storm drain that links Ayawaso West and Okaikoi North Municipalities. Such works are carried out under the supervision of experts such as municipal, highway and/or hydro engineers. Mr Dumelo is undertaking this exercise without these experts,” the statement said.
E A Alanore
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