Dear Hon. Adam Abubakari Takoro!
I write this piece to articulate my views on an important exercise you carried out, which unfortunately failed to yield the desired or intended results.
First and foremost, I hope this epistle finds you hale and hearty, as the Hon. Mayor of Tamale Metropolis, poised to bring development at the local level.
Indeed, this conversation all boils down to the subject matter, which, if it had succeeded, would have inured to the benefit of all in the Tamale Metropolis and beyond.
Hon. Mayor, what governments should know is that the power belongs to the people, and no amount of hasty and unplanned action on the decongestion exercise will see the light of day.
Why this assertion? We have seen several decongestion exercises carried out by the past Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives across the Country.
Unfortunately, the majority failed in carrying out these decongestion exercises, not because they are weak and can't enforce orderliness, but because it can't be done in haste or because others are doing it.
Democracy has come to stay as it is the government of the people by the people and for the people. And it comes with its own cost and the use of force or any arbitrary means can't bring the desired results.
In any democratic environment, the participation, opinions, and views of the people play a vital role when it comes to the development of the people and the cities they live in.
Truth be told, no government, especially at the local level, has succeeded without the full participation of the relevant key stakeholders, opinion leaders, and people as a whole.
To state categorically, as the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executive, you can't succeed without the support and collaborative involvement of the above-mentioned relevant key stakeholders, and the media.
In fact, such a major step in decongestion exercises required deeper dialogue and sensitization on the need for it to be carried out to pave the way for a clean and safe environment.
Since the NDC government came into being, the mayors of Accra and Kumasi have tried to decongest their cities; however, they all faced resistance from the people, and it backfired as planned.
Fast forward with this, I thought, as the Mayor of Tamale Metropolis, you would have learned from the numerous challenges faced by your colleagues and smartly carry out a proper decongestion to avoid the failures of your colleagues.
Frankly, how do you carry out a decongestion exercise without a proper alternative place that is convenient for the people to be moved to, per the business they are engaged in?
I knew it was going to be a night day wonder and no wonder it backfired like others have done in different places in the Country.
Let's be honest and factual, no one solution fits all the problems faced, and every Metropolitan, municipal, or district has different problems and demands different solutions.
This calls for a well-reasoned and strategic approach to the age-old problem of the congested nature of our cities across the Country. A smarter measure, like what I said, should be adopted.
Dear Mayor, I know you may be disappointed with the lack of cooperation on the part of the people of Tamale, but what happened is a lesson for you to come back again with a clearer and planned approach.
Notably, past mayors tried their best, and they obviously faced resistance, like what happened to your approach, which I respectfully described as hasty and unplanned.
This piece is not partisan or from any malice intended to throw mud at your office for the glaring failure in your attempt to decongest Tamale Metropolis.
I monitored and listened to all concerns raised by all those affected, and what came to mind is what I, as a patriotic citizen and a resident of Tamale, want to suggest to you to add to your plans in your subsequent actions.
Undoubtedly, Tamale, particularly the business center, is crowded and choked, but it requires more resources and the involvement of all to bring orderliness to ensure a clean city.
In conclusion, you need to adopt a leadership of all-involvement, be an active listener, and connect deeply with the people in their communities for sensitization to be the watchdog, irrespective of one's political lineage.
I have written this type of piece to the past mayor, and I will constantly engage and bring to you what I have in store for a safe, serene, and healthy environment.
Thank you.
Author: Abdulai Abdul-Razak
Tamale South Constituency
abdulrazakabdulai940@gmail.com
0542184296
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