Purge yourself of corrupt elements
The Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, has challenged the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to undertake a soul-searching exercise to purge itself of corrupt practices that continue to put the lives of people at risk.
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Speaking at the premiering of a film on driver’s licence racketeering within the DVLA yesterday, Mr Ashigbey said Ghana was not safe if a critical state institution tasked to play a crucial role in ensuring safety on the roads was neck deep in massive corrupt practices.
"I believe after today the team at DVLA will do soul-searching to rid itself of this canker," he said.
The undercover investigations that unravelled the rot at the DVLA was undertaken by a team from Tiger Eye, led by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, with support from the GCGL.
Patrons who thronged the National Theatre in Accra where the film was premiered last night were stunned into disbelief as, one after another, officials of the DVLA and non-officials took various sums of money to facilitate the issuing of drivers’ licences.
Accident statistics
Painting a gloomy picture of the accident situation in the country, Mr Ashigbey said between 2008 and August 2013, 10,767 people lost their lives through road accidents, while some 4,300 others were injured.
He pointed out that the cost of accidents to the nation was huge and said everyone had a duty to ensure that they were reduced to the lowest level.
Being an engineer by profession, he said, he was aware that mechanical faults were a contributory factor to road accidents but pointed out that human factors were the major cause.
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Even then, he was quick to add that what many described as accidents were not accidents in the real sense of the word.
He chose to call them incidents because of the illegal manner in which licences were issued out to drivers.
My Ashigbey called on the political leadership, the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and the Judiciary to take up the challenge and play their respective roles effectively to arrest the rot in the system.
Challenge to media
The Graphic MD also tasked the media to follow the story to its logical conclusion.
"Regrettably, in Ghana the lifespan of a new story is two weeks.
We have to follow this story through to ensure this canker is uprooted," he charged.
Assurance
Mr Ashigbey gave an assurance that the GCGL would continue to partner Mr Anas to unravel more of such rots in the country.
Catholic Archbishop
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, described Mr Anas as a " modern-day terror and source of justice in Ghana" who must be encouraged to do more for his country.
Star Ghana
The Programmes Manager of Star Ghana, Mr Amadu Tanko, said the company became part of Tiger Eye's investigations because of the importance it attached to arresting road accidents in Ghana.
Present at the premiere was the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong.