The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Bukari Moses Mabengba, has stated that it is the responsibility of all leaders and influential people, including community leaders in Tamale to lead in bringing positive change to the metropolis.
According to him, any influential person who interfered with law enforcement in Tamale was doing harm to the city because he or she was nurturing a society where law and order would eventually succumb to chaos and impunity.
Mr Mabengba was reacting to an article published on page 18 in the November 5, 2010 issue of the Daily Graphic which sought to blame influential people for promoting impunity in Tamale by aiding law breakers to go unpunished.
The article made mention of indiscipline on the roads of Tamale, noting specifically the impunity with which some motorists disobeyed road traffic and safety regulations with the hope of being freed by some ‘big men’ when accosted by the police.
The minister expressed regret over that development, describing it as an impediment to development, since no meaningful development could take place in an atmosphere of lawlessness.
He said on many occasions, people had come to him to help them avoid punishment when those people had been arrested by the police “but I vehemently refuse to do so”.
Mr Mabengba disclosed that to show leadership, the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) had taken some measures to aid the police to enforce road safety regulations in Tamale.
He said, for instance, that motorbike riders without helmets were not allowed to ride into and within the premises of the RCC and the Residency.
“We want to ensure that people do not extend their indiscipline to the RCC. We also want to make life uncomfortable for people who fail to adhere to safety regulations,” he explained.
The minister noted that Tamale, which is considered the third largest city in the country, was fast growing into a vibrant city and that its residents needed to be law-abiding citizens to facilitate city life.
He, therefore, entreated leaders and people with power to lead in bringing positive change to Tamale by living exemplary lives and chastising their followers who acted unlawfully.
Mr Mabengba commended the Daily Graphic for bringing to light the growing indiscipline in Tamale and urged the media to expose politicians and so-called ‘big men’ who are aiding law breakers to escape punishment to bring them to shame.
“When we fail to identify the culprits, all leaders in the region become suspects and this is not fair to those who work towards promoting discipline,” he noted.
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