Chris Ackumey punches govt on Joy FM's Topsy-turvy

It should be a light-sided show to calm the year-long radio cacophony; that is what Joy FM's Christmas topsy-turvy is meant to be. But rules cannot be strictly obeyed when issues under discussion affect the social fabric.

So when Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Monday assembled a politician cum lawyer Chris Ackumey and private legal practitioner Ace Ankomah to discuss water; a necessary social service, Chris decided to pull no punches against his own NDC-led government.

Though the water issue was passionately discussed under a serene ambience with Managing Director of Cal Bank, Frank Adu as the sit-in host, Mr. Ackumey described the much touted water project by government which has seen communities that hitherto had their taps whistling, now flowing with water as riddled with “poor planning”.

Mr. Chris Ackumey complained bitterly that even though Government claims millions of gallons have been added to the current production, many houses do not have constant flow of water.

He blamed the difficulty in the free flow of water on rusty and faulty pipelines conveying water to consumers.

The project started about four years ago, he asserted, if no auditing was conducted of the existing pipelines before it began pumping water into the lines, then it is “very unfortunate”.  

He wants the Water Resources Works and Housing Minister, Collins Dauda to take the issue of rusty pipelines serious as well as a newspaper claim that some nefarious people are hoarding and diverting treated water for their parochial interest.

However, for communities such as Adenta and its environs to have water during this festive season was great news, he voted.

Ace Ankomah, a regular critic, was this time a little charitable with the government project so far as Adenta is concerned because “poor planning” suggested by Chris Ackumey “is better than no planning…at least there is water”.

He called on Government to find money to fix the rusty pipelines to avoid waste in the system and get water to the targeted consumers.

He was however emphatic that Ghanaians should “not accept mediocre public service” when there is general water problem in the country.

In general, the entire segment was fun, interspersed with predictable topsy-turvy hiccups. Sit-in host Frank Adu capped the show saying, “this is a classic case of something in the pipeline; it's in the pipeline is a common statement that politicians make, there is water in the pipeline but it is not delivering.”

  Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com| Isaac Essel | [email protected] | twitter @isaacessel