Accra: A tense exchange unfolded during an inspection of an ongoing road project under the government's Big Push infrastructure programme after the Ketu North Municipal Chief Executive, Martin Amenaki, threatened to have a young contractor removed from the site over what he described as disrespectful conduct.
According to Ghana Web, the incident was captured in a video shared by Revival FM on social media, which shows the MCE inspecting the project and expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of work to senior contractors overseeing the construction. As Martin Amenaki questioned the contractors over what he considered poor workmanship, a young man, believed to be a junior contractor working on the project, repeatedly interrupted him in an apparent attempt to explain the situation.
The interruptions prompted the MCE to question the young man's role on the project, insisting that he was addressing the contractor in charge. 'Are you an employee or an employer? I'm talking to your boss, and you are interrupting,' the MCE said. The young contractor responded that he was only trying to explain the facts surrounding the project.
Martin Amenaki then asked the young man whether he knew who he was speaking to. The contractor replied that he was fully aware of whom he was addressing. The response appeared to further anger the MCE, who accused the young man of being disrespectful and warned that he had the authority to have him removed from the project. 'Do you know who you are speaking to? If you're speaking to me like this, then you are being disrespectful. I can cause your dismissal right now,' the MCE stated.
The Municipal Chief Executive subsequently turned his attention back to the senior contractor, stressing the importance of delivering quality work and reminding the project team that the local community would ultimately bear the consequences of any substandard construction. 'If you do this and leave, do you know who will live with the problem?' he added.
The road project forms part of the government's flagship Big Push agenda, a nationwide infrastructure programme introduced by President John Dramani Mahama to accelerate development across Ghana. The initiative seeks to modernise the country's infrastructure through the construction and rehabilitation of major roads, bridges, schools and hospitals across all 16 regions. It also aims to create sustainable employment opportunities, improve transportation networks and support long-term economic growth.