The National Coordinator of the District Roads Improvement Project (DRIP), Edward Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has impounded a backhoe machine belonging to the Obuasi West Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region over its unauthorised use.
The machine was intercepted along the Obuasi-Kumasi highway with a faulty hydraulic valve. Upon interrogation, the operator claimed he had been assigned to a task by one of the engineers at the assembly.
Unsatisfied with the explanation, Mr. Vanderpuye called in the Obuasi Police to arrest the operator and take custody of the machine pending further investigation.
He stressed that no DRIP-managed equipment should be used without express approval from the district roads management team and the district DRIP coordinator.
“Any official who authorises the use of these machines without the necessary clearance will be held accountable and surcharged for any resulting repair or maintenance costs,” he warned.
Mr. Vanderpuye further urged the public to take an active interest in how government-owned equipment is managed, calling them valuable national assets that must be safeguarded.
He advised municipal assemblies to refrain from deploying such machinery until operators have received proper training and certification.
He assured that a nationwide operator training programme would soon be rolled out across all regional capitals to ensure the safe and effective use of DRIP equipment.
SOURCE: Channel One News