Editorial News of Wednesday, 16 June 1999

Source: --

The Dispatch

 

Military Angry over new role as sanitary men



The Dispatch carries a front-page story, which says the military is angry once again over the new role that it has been playing as sanitary men. The paper says the anger of the military stems from a GTV news footage carried last Saturday which showed Mr. Addokwei Addo, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) boss and some armed military men running after half-naked men and women who were attending to natures call at some beaches in Accra.

The story says the regular use of the military for similar exercises have encountered the displeasure of serious minded professionals within the army who believe that was not their job.

The Dispatch, referring to a story it had earlier carried in its April 26 to May 2 edition, which had revealed that some members of the Army harboured displeasure for such duties, said enquiries it made at the weekend from a number of military personnel showed that they were not happy when they were used to desilt gutters recently while residents of the area stood aloof, watching and at times makes statements that were annoying.

According to the Dispatch, the beach chase over the weekend made a warrant officer questioning whether they have turned latrine men now.

The paper?s report says that public opinion does not favour the use of the military for the exercises. It says quite a number of people think that the able-bodied men of AMA who go after hawkers should rather, be used for these kind of jobs instead of standing idly by traffic lights waiting to pounce on hawkers.

GRi