The Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS) has directed Chief Executives of the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country to temporarily close down their offices.
According to OHLGS, the directive has become necessary after realising that many Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been vandalised, following the announcement of the just-ended General Election results.
This was contained in a letter dated December 10, 2024 and signed by Ing. Dr Nana Ato Arthur, Head of Service and copied to all Regional ministers and Regional Coordinating Councils.
The letter, which The Chronicle has a copy, was under the headline: “Post-election security measures for staff”.
Ing. Dr Nana Ato Arthur indicated in the letter that, “I am writing to urgently address a critical matter concerning the safety and security of our staff”.
According to him, given the threats and incidents of violence by unknown assailants, the safety of the staff must be highest priority and, therefore, must act swiftly to mitigate any potential risks and ensure their well-being.
Based on this, he urged all to closely monitor the situation in their respective regions and if there was any indication that lives and properties were at risk, should temporarily close the offices and allow all staff members to work remotely until the situation stabilises.
He disclosed that this precautionary measure was intended to safeguard the staff from potential harm and provide them with peace of mind during an unsettling period.
Ing. Dr Nana Ato Arthur promised to maintain close communication with MMDAs to receive updates on any developments and advised them to keep regular contact with Law Enforcement Agencies to provide the needed security support to protect the Offices where necessary.
Meanwhile, there was relative calm at the New Juaben North and South Assemblies during The Chronicle visit in the early hours of Wednesday.
Some staff, who spoke with this reporter under the condition of anonymity, indicated that their lives were in danger because of what was happening in other parts of the Assemblies.
This reporter was told that some group of youth besieged the New Juaben North Assembly on Tuesday morning, in an attempt to sack the staff and subsequently close down the offices.
