Minister Chased Away

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Kofi Poku Manu had the rudest shock of his life last Thursday afternoon when he was incessantly hooted at by wood workers at Anloga, a suburb of Kumasi. The unfortunate development occurred when Mr. Poku Manu and his entourage visited the wood workers to ostensibly prevail on them to relocate to the Sokoban wood village to enable the Oforikrom-Asokwa by pass project to go on unhindered. The ugly episode Started when Mr. Poku Manu, in the course of his deliberations with the artisans, told them they had to relocate to the new place by Thursday September 17, 2009. Obviously not enthused with the comment, the wood workers who initially wholeheartedly welcomed the regional minister suddenly lost their temper and incessantly hooted at him. Unable to withstand the embarrassment, Mr. Poku Manu abruptly ended his deliberation with the wood workers and together with his entourage, hurriedly got into their cars and sped off. Determined to cause further embarrassment to the regional minister and his entourage, the wood workers who number over 200 chased the speeding vehicles and hooted at them to the astonishment of onlookers. However, in an attempt to salvage the situation, the leader of the Anloga Wood Workers Association (AWWA) on Friday hurriedly organized a press conference and rendered an unqualified apology to the regional minister and his entourage for the unruly behavior of their members. Addressing the press conference, Reverend S. K. Fugah, patron of AWWA, vehemently condemned the rowdy behaviour of his members and sincerely apologized to the regional minister and his entourage. Assuring the regional minister and the entire Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) of their total support towards the impending relocation exercise, Rev. Fugal promised the regional minister that such an unfortunate development would never occur again. The relocation of the Anloga wood workers to the Sokoban wood village has become necessary due the fact that their present location interferes with the Oforikrom-Asokwa by-pass project. The Oforikrom-Asokwa by pass project which is aimed at improving traffic situation in Kumasi commenced in June 2008 and is expected to be completed on or before June 2010.