Volta GPRTU Provides Pragmatic Leadership

Date published: January 14, 2014
 
From Samuel Agbewode, Ho
The quest to ensure smooth transportation system in the then Gold Coast led to the formation of the Peamster Workers Union in 1969, which included road and rail workers. Later the Gold Coast Motor Union was formed, with the main objective of promoting safe road transportation system. It was the only private transport organization with good administrative structures.

The Gold Coast Motor Union, after independence in 1957, became known as the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), with Yaw Ntoah as its First National Chairman, who successfully ended his term of office, while Mr. Charles Ocloo became the National Chairman. But upon a successful completion of his term in office, Mr. Yaw Ntoah again became the National Chairman, but unfortunately died in office.

The GPRTU, being the only effectively organized private transport organization in the country then, made Mr. Aikins the National Chairman in 1979 after the death of Mr. Ntoah, while Mr. Emmanuel Kofi Gbedemah took over from Mr. Aikins after he successfully completed his term of office. Alhaji Yaw Manu, however, took over from Mr. Gbedemah as the National Chairman.

The GPRTU in 1979 formed a National Union Guards with the primary objective of ensuring that there was total discipline at the stations and on the road, so as to reduce the incident of preventable accidents that normally lead to deaths and loss of properties.

The GPRTU has since remained the most vibrant road transport organization in the country, with branches in all the 10 Regions of Ghana.

In the Volta Region, pragmatic leadership provided by the leaders of transport union is worth noting.

The Volta Region Branch of the GPRTU, can currently be described as one of the most effectively run   transport organization in the region, which has been involved in a number of activities to ensure that drivers plying the road upgrade their skills regularly and ensure that vehicles on the road are in good condition.

 
LEADERSHIP HISTORY OF THE VOLTA REGIONAL GPRTU
 
From 1969 to 1980, Mr. Adigbo led the Union as the first Volta Regional Chairman, followed by his successor, Mr. Emmanuel Amenyo, who also led the Union from 1980 to 2003, and had the First Chairman as Mr. Hope Akee.  

The first Volta Regional Secretary of the Union was Mr. Ayitevi, followed by Mr. Dzokoto, and then Mr. Ben Kudiabor, Mr. M.E.K Agama and Mr. Akpadonu.

Mr. Moses Kofi Davor also became the Regional Chairman from 2003, a position he holds till date.

The team of officials currently at post are; Mr. Akilu Sulemana as Vice Chairman, Mr. Edward Fiator, First Trustee, Mr. Afum Francis, Second Trustee, Mr.  M.E.K Agama, Principal Industrial Relations Officer (PIRO) and Mr. Padmore Danyo-Mc Billy, as Industrial Relations Officer (IRO).

The Volta Regional Secretariat also has its team of officers who manage its financial activities and   has Mr. Michael Klutsey as the Financial Committee Chairman, assisted by Mr. Ofori Danso, Mr. Napolion Dzebu and Mr.  Paul Adugu.

For easy administrative purposes, it was divided into northern and southern sectors. The first northern Coordinator of the region was Mr. Victor Opoku, followed by Mr. Ben Abdalah, Madam Regina Ketor, Mr. Sakora and Madam Vida Nkpentey respectively.

At the southern sector, Mr. Lassey served as its first coordinator,   followed by Mr. Abraham Adorvlo. The Guard Commanders in the region at that time were Mr. Big Jay, Mr. Abofra, Mr. Tamekloe and Nana Awuiga Okusun.

 
PROJECTS INITIATED BY THE REGIONAL CHAIRMEN
 
The Volta Region GPRTU has over the years experienced quality leadership which has seen rapid growth of the Union and as a result of initiated projects that were successfully executed by the Chairmen during their term in office. These projects have made it possible for these leaders to be remembered by the members of the private transport organization in the region.

The regime of Mr. Emmanuel Amenyo is on record for building a regional secretariat in the Volta Regional capital, Ho, for the GPRTU, with offices in areas such as Kpando, Hohoe, Aflao, Damanko, Akatsi, Dabala, Dzodze, Denu, Agbozume, Nkwanta , Kpassa, Sogakope and Abotuase branches of the Union.

The Mr. Amenyo led leadership did not stop at providing offices for some of the branches and his hard work yielded in the regional office by securing one Autosan vehicle, two Benz buses, three Tata buses, four Neoplan buses (popularly called 'Ghana Flag') and five Nissan Tidi vehicles, to aid the activities of the GPRTU in the region.

Mr. Moses Davor administration also built on what Mr. Amenyo left behind. The development needs of the GPRTU made it possible for Mr. Davor's administration to put up a storey building office complex for Akatsi branch 3, Aflao Express branch 2, Aflao Hiring branch 2, Aflao branch 1 and Adidome Anloga branches to ensure smooth operation at these areas.

Mr. Davor continued to provide offices at Dabala, Batume, Nkwanta, Akatsi Branch 1 and 2, Kpassa branch 1 and 2, Kwamekrom, Juapong, Abotoase branch 2, Dzemeni and Mafi-Kumase branches while office  buildings have also been provided for Aflao branches 3 and Aflao Highways   with  Segbe, Agbozume, Denu and Tokor, all branches and provided with offices among others.

The need for the GPRTU to modernize its operation made the Mr. Davor led administration to provide vehicle owners with new vehicles as a necessity, to take off the road's rickety vehicles, as a way of making transportation more attractive, comfortable and safe to passengers, a development that had totally transformed the GPRTU to its current state.

Mr. Davor secured (70) Hyundai 12 seater buses, (3) Atos  cars, (200) 15 seater Toyota buses, (10) 15 seater Nissan buses, (7) J.A.C  33 seater buses, (40) Joy long 19 seater buses, (110) Fiat cars, (25) B.Y.D cars, (55) C.K cars, (25) Hyundai  i10 cars, (35) Brilliant cars, one BMC cargo and one Nissan pick-up vehicle to replace the old vehicles in the region under.

The Davor led administration also built a guest house in Ho not only to help address accommodation problems that confront drivers who are on transit at the regional capital but also to serve as an income generating venture to address the welfare needs of   drivers in the region.

The sound administrative practices and adherence to road safety rules and regulations by the drivers of the GPRTU in the region led to the Union winning a National Road safety award and a regional award, which made the Private transport organization the best choice for travelers across the region.

Mr. Davor continued to develop programmes such as regular refresher training for drivers to be abreast with the rules and regulations that guide their activities, with emphasis on the personal appearances of the individual drivers to be descent and admirable just like any office staff.

This move has resulted in most of the GPRTU drivers across the region always dressed decently with their mates, and according the needed respect to passengers, thereby making the Union's lorry stations full of activity as compared to other transport organizations in the region.

Another development activity in which the GPRTU in the region has engaged itself over the years is the regular education programme for the wives of drivers to ensure that they develop good relationship with their husbands, as well as solve possible disputes amicably at home so as to ensure that drivers would not carry such problems to work which is likely to affect their concentration when driving.

The GPRTU offices all over the region, particularly the regional office in Ho, had store rooms filled with lost items belonging to passengers who travelled in the Union's vehicles, thereby building a sense of trust between passengers and the union, to the effect that items left in the vehicles could be easily retrieved upon identification.

 
MEASURES TO PROMOTE DISCIPLINE ON THE ROAD
The management of the Union   at the regional level, after replacing   all the old vehicles on the road, is now tackling the issue of discipline among drivers, to enable them to adopt best practices on the road with emphasis on defensive driving to ensure that   preventable accidents   do not occur.

As part of the disciplinary measures taken by Union all its lorry stations across the region are places where alcohol is not allowed. Vehicles and their drivers are checked for alcohol and over loading.

Again, there are measures to check over speeding as avenues have been created to allow passengers to report miscreant drivers.

   
 DRIVERS' DAY CELEBRATION
The Volta Regional Chairman of the GPRTU Mr. Davor is therefore advocating for a National Drivers Day celebration that will honour drivers in the country, just as is being done for teachers and farmers. This, according to him, would serve as a motivation for the drivers to be more committed to their work.

The effort being made by the GPRTU calls for a collective responsibility of all stakeholders, so as to yield positive result in ensuring that the dream of the Volta Region GPRTU becomes a reality, where passengers will not be afraid to travel on our roads, particularly during festivities like Christmas, New Year and Easter celebrations, as well as traditional festivals which normally claim lives and property through accidents.

 
CAPTION FOR REGIONAL FILE: PIX one shows the Ho GPRTU lorry station, PIX two is the Regional office building where administrative activities of the region takes place, PIX 3 is the new Hyundai vehicles provided in 2008 under Mr. Davor led administration and PIX 4 is the Volta Regional Chairman of the GPRTU and second Vice National Chairman of the Union, Mr. Moses Davor