Mr Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister locked out some Municipal and District Chiefs Executives (MDCEs) and heads of departments in Bolgatanga for reporting late to the Regional Coordinating Council meeting.

The second RCC meeting was scheduled to begin at 1000 hours, however, at about 1100 hours only five out of the 15 MDCEs in the region had reported together with some heads of departments.

The MDCEs present were Mr Joseph Adongo, Kassena-Nankana Municipal, Mr Gerard Ataogye, Kassena-Nankana West, Mr Issahaku Tahiru, Bawku West, Mr Osman Musah, DCE for Garu and Mr David Amoah, Bolgatanga East.

The meeting was to afford the MDCEs and their Assemblies the opportunity to share development progress and challenges in their areas and enable stakeholders brainstorm solutions challenges facing the development of the region.

The meeting was also in fulfilment of Article 255 of the 1992 Constitution under section 191 of the Local Government Act of 2016, Act 936 which mandates the RCC to meet and discuss the development concerns of the region and proffer solutions. With about an hour of wait, the Regional Minister became angry and asked the conference hall doors to be locked for the meeting begin.

Some of the MDCEs and heads of departments who came later were not allowed in until the meeting was over.

Mr Yakubu said poor attitude towards work was one of the main reasons the region was lagging in development, deepening the poverty cycle among the vulnerable people and therefore the situation must change under his tenure.

He said the era, where some people especially those in leadership positions shirked their responsibilities and earned salaries at the end of the month was over and those in authority must be seen leading by example.

“Those of you who have travelled, you know how others do it, but here we do not care. If you are a DCE and Monday you are not at work, do you think your staff will be at work? And the usual attitude of people not reporting to work on Friday because it is a weekend, and cry our pay is not enough cannot be tolerated”. He stated.

The Regional Minister noted that it was regrettable that people who had been through and seen extreme poverty were given the opportunity, paid with taxpayer’s money to help eradicate poverty in the region were seen exhibiting poor attitudes towards work.

“Because you can look after your kids and take them to better schools, get better food to eat, drink your beer, marry more women, have more kids, you will not come to work and they will still pay you and the most interesting thing is that most of come from this region and knowing that the poverty levels of families in the Northern Regions and need to work to improve their conditions.

“All of us sitting here, very respectful, well-educated people, come to meeting and let us sit discuss matters of our region, something that we have to do because it is within the law, they will not come because over the weekend they were spending quality time with their families outside the region without thinking of the work that actually gave them that the quality life.