Henry Quartey doing something right in Accra

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey has taken a very impressive start in making Accra work again since his recent appointment to the top job.

Henry Quartey has proven he is not the usual  white long sleeves with flying tie wearing person who relaxes in an arm chair in a cozy office but rather a very practical hands on leader who folds his sleeves up and above his elbows to get the work done in a leadership by example style.

He started to win the hearts of city dwellers when he announced, not long after he took office, that he was determined to enforce the laws on the use of sirens and horns as prescribed by regulation 74 of the Road Traffic Regulations of 2012 (L.I. 2180).

The Minister cautioned that offenders would be made to face the law without fear or favour. True to his words, Accra has witnessed a drastic reduction in the unauthorized use of sirens.

Over the weekend were the Easter festivities and a few days to that, Henry Quartey had signed a public statement reminding the Region that all beaches were to remain closed in accordance with the COVID-19 safety protocols and the laws on public and social gatherings.

It is significant to note that this law has been in existence long before Henry Quartry’s appointment as Regional Minister but it had been poorly implemented or completely disregarded in many quarters.

What Henry Quartey did during the recent Easter period was not to issue just a statement but he actually dispatched armed police men in full crowd control regalia and armory to all the major beaches in the Region.

The presence of the armed security at the entrances of the beaches, alone in itself, was enough to make people stay off.

At the La Pleasure Beach, the largest and most popular beach in Accra for instance, the police team that was sent there looked combat ready and intimidating. They did not appear to be a type of team that was ready to compromise the reason they were there.

Their appearance alone could make even a drunk person start to think straight and make the influence of alcohol vanish at once.

“This is a charge I promise to keep and execute to the fullest but I cannot do this alone considering the nature of the task. My colleagues are not going to be happy with me but boy! I’m going to do it; once I have the backing of the President I’m good” Henry Quartey recently told Kwami Sefa Kayi, host of the  Peace FM morning show ‘Kokrokoo‘.

The New Publisher is very impressed and very highly commends the Minister, Mr. Henry Quartey because   he has proven that the laws can be made to work. The laws can be enforced and implemented. The people would fully co-operate when they see seriousness on the part of state authorities. He has proven that Accra can work again.

It makes us conclude that leadership counts when it comes to getting things done and done right and well. It makes us conclude good leadership as the one he has started should be encouraged and applauded.

We encourage him to continue the good works he has started and not to be deterred by the professional naysayers who see nothing good in any initiative.

Henry Quartey is a Minister every Ghanaian should be proud of. He is simply large and in charge. No pun intended.