By Newman Anthony Levey in Bo
The Driver’s Union in Bo is in a standoff with the Resident Minister of the Southern Region, Mohamed E.K Ali. The Secretary General of the union, Moses Sandi, accused the minister of undermining the current executive by working with the former president of the union, Abu Saidu (Abu White).
The standoff reached a new height when the union vowed this week that drivers will not take part in future general cleaning exercise as a sign of protest.
"As long as the Resident Minister is not working with the executive of the union, whatever has to do with government we will not partake in it,” Sandi said.
Sandi said they were marginalized for the provision of vehicles during the visit of the First Lady, Fatima Bio to the district last month.
“If the Resident Minister was asking the former chairman of the union to provide vehicles to welcome the First Lady, he should be in place again to provide vehicles for the general cleaning,” he said.
During monthly cleaning exercises, the union collaborates with the council authorities to gather and dispose garbage. The decision of the union to boycott future government activities like this will surely have an impact on a lot of things within the district.
Sandi said the standoff with the current minister started when he decided to work with Saidu over them. Saidu lost the presidency of the union but the Resident Minister has been accused of constantly working with him over the current executive in several instances.
Sandi also accused Saidu of running a parallel executive with the support of Ali. The two sides are currently locked in a turf war to control the parking grounds within Bo city. All the parks have been handed over to Sandi’s executive, except the New London Park which is the biggest in the district and provides more revenue.
"At New London in Bo, the executive does not have total control of it. The New London lorry park is the bread winner, which has more vehicles,” Sandi said.
“After the current executive was appointed, there were series of fracas for the New London lorry park, which the last executive headed by Abu White still wants to control,” he added.
The Minister was contacted by Politico to respond to the allegations. He said the matter was with the Office of National Security and so he would not comment on it.
The ONS Boss, Southern Region, Samuel A. J. Bullie, told Politico: "ONS is aware there is a conflict and PROSEC (Provincial Security Coordinating Group) has done a lot. In fact what we are waiting on is the National Security Coordinator of ONS and the director of PDS; they are planning to come and resolve the division between the two groups."
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