Undoing The Metro Mass Strides

One Of the social intervention projects of the Kufuor era which has survived the mismanagement of the times and made impressive strides lately is under threat.

The interference in the day-to-day administration of the Metro Mass Transit Company (Metro Mass) by a Board Chairman, who appears to have exceeded the scope of his mandate, is the most prominent challenge it faces today.

A few days ago, workers of the company offered a rare insight into how the company's management is reeling under the interference of its Board Chairman.

We are not in a position to tell the extent to which the alleged interference into the dayto- day management of the company is affecting its fortunes. Suffice it to point out however that a picture of a company which has wriggled itself from the web of mismanagement and making appreciable progress is being pulled in the opposite direction by an unnecessary interference in matters, which are by convention the preserve of the management.

On the desk of the Transport Minister is a petition that workers, through the unions, have delivered for consideration.

Given the seriousness of the content of the petition, it is our position that the sector minister look into the issues raised with a view to taking the appropriate action that would address the challenges being alluded to.

We would especially want government to establish the verity of the allegation that a company which won a bid to supply tyres to the transport company was denied same and the deal given to a competitor which failed to meet the spelt-out terms.

The bottom line of this aspect of the petition is that there was a breach in the procurement law something which should not be encouraged at all.

It should be determined how this has affected the financial fortunes of the company and to what extent have the novelties introduced by the managing director ensured progress or otherwise of Metro Mass.

Should there be identifiable anomalies as we have learnt there are, we call on the authorities to rectify these so that the strides being made by the company lately are not lost because of deliberate impediments put in the way of the managing director.

With new buses already in to augment the fleet and some expected alongside the novelties which have reduced the ingredients for fraudulent practices by some managers, we can understand why the source of the changes is suffering the raw deal being meted out to him.

Much as boards exist to complement the work of state agencies, we have observed the worrying tendency of some of them to get mired in the daily administrative operations of establishments they are required to support.

With the score-sheet of the company not out of reach, an audit of the performance at the head under the circumstances should be undertaken and a decision taken based on that period.

Anything short of this would be inappropriate and form one of the many factors which retard the country's progress