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Doryumu, the traditional headquarters of the Hiowe Division of the Shai State in the Shai-Osudoku District, is part of the Greater Accra Region. The town is approximately 40 kilometres from Tema and lies only a short distance off the main Tema-Akosombo Highway. The ancient town was founded nearly 600 years ago by the Shai ethnic group who are a part of the larger Dangme people who migrated from Nigeria by land. The Shai area is endowed with valuable natural resources, a mountain range that is composed of different types of rock sediments and boulders that have in them granite suitable for construction works. Rock splinterings from boulders at Shai were used for construction works when the Tema Harbour and town were being built in the early 1960s. Quarries Over the years the mountain range has been the raw material for quite a number of privately owned quarries, whose products have been used for the construction of many houses, particularly in the Accra-Tema metropolis. Tolls Under an agreement signed between the Shai-Osudoku District Assembly and the quarries operating in the area, a truckload of fragments of rocks is charged a levy. One-half of the amount goes to the district assembly to support development projects while the other half is passed on to the seven clans of Doryumu. Seven clans To ensure transparency, each of the seven clans, made up of Blonya Wem, Kutuwe, Apese, Abiete/Salosi, Gbetesie, Obom and Gblaka, nominates a representative to be at the toll gates leading to the quarry sites. The mission of the representatives is to collect tolls and account to the clan heads, who are acting as chiefs. The monies thus collected are used for development projects in the town. No substantive chief For sometime now, Doryumu does not have a substantive chief who, as expected, would lead the people in their development agenda. Because of the traditional power vacuum currently existing, the toll collectors, who have a four-year mandate for their job, are alleged to be not accounting properly for their stewardship. In view of this, some elders of the town are currently in court seeking redress. It is perceived, however, that continuous delay in coming up with a judgement on the matter is affecting the pursuit of development projects for the town as it is not getting its fair share of funding. No social amenities Doryumu is one of three principal towns in the Shai-Osudoku District. It has a population of about 15,000. The town has no drainage system and because of this roads there, particularly the one linking it with Ayikuma on the main Somanya-Accra Highway, has now become a death trap. In addition, the town lacks a clinic, a decent market, potable water supply and a public place of convenience. The people depend on dug-out latrines, which poses both security and health risks. Poverty The most unfortunate situation is that the majority of the people who are petty traders and peasant farmers are not able to make enough money to cater for themselves and much less educate their children. This phenomenon has left many pupils and students who are academically good to cut short on their education and take up the occupation of their parents which include farming and petty trading. Under the circumstances, the cycle of poverty in the community continues. GH�100,000 In an effort to reverse the situation, a section of the elders of the town, with the support of the youth, held a meeting two weeks ago to consider ways to address the issue, especially the collection of tolls at the quarry gates. According to a source at the District Assembly, about a hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GH�100,000) is generated each week as revenue from the quarries. In the words of some inhabitants, a huge portion of that amount unfortunately only goes to enrich a few pockets at the expense of seeking socio-economic well-being of the entire population of the town. Okyeame Opata Addressing the meeting at Doryumu, the convener, Okyeame Doh Kwasi Opata, said it was distressing that Doryumu, which is endowed with so much valuable natural resources should be deprived of basic social amenities. �We have the golden hen which is laying golden eggs for all of us to enjoy but the eggs are only improving the lifestyle of a few people who were authorised by us to collect the golden eggs. It was time we ensured that they accounted for their stewardship otherwise poverty will continue to be with us,� he said. He said apart from financing development projects, the huge amounts of monies collected as tolls, when properly accounted for, could also be used to set up a scholarship scheme for bright, needy pupils and students to enable them to climb the academic ladder to become professionals who would help spearhead the development of the town. An opinion leader, Mr Tei Djamba, who is also the Atiwa District Director of the Ghana Health Service, agreed with Okyeame Opata and called for support in getting the toll collectors to account for their stewardship. �The longer the delay in getting the collectors to account for their stewardship, the longer we continue to suffer. As such, each one of us must convince our brothers holding the purse to account for their stewardship,� he told the gathering. About a month ago, the youth of Doryumu attempted to forcibly replace the toll collectors and this nearly resulted in a bloodbath, which was prevented by the police.