The decision by the Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Dr. Albert Brown Gaisie, to seize the only tow truck belonging to the Eastern regional office of GNFS has created tension between officers in the region and the GNFS boss.
The tow truck, which registration number is FS-568, Today learnt, is currently parked at the GNFS’s headquarters in Accra.
Fuming with anger over the development, some of the fire officers in the Eastern region who spoke to Today on condition of anonymity, said they find it difficult to understand why Dr. Brown Gaisie would seize the only fire service tow truck in the region.
The tow truck, according to the firemen, is the only vehicle they use to move disabled, improperly parked, impounded, or recover a vehicle damaged in an accident.
The move by Dr. Brown Giasie, they intimated, has adversely affected their work in the region.
Narrating the incident to Today, the angry fire officers recounted that on Sunday, April 17, 2016 they were called from the regional head office in Koforidua to come and tow a petrol car which had broken down and was right in the middle of the Akuapem-Mafi off Adensu to Koforidua road.
According to fire officers, the owner of the damaged vehicle had requested them to tow his car to Tema, Accra.
“So on our way to Tema, Dr. Brown Gaisie met us and quickly ordered that we take the tow truck to our headquarters in Accra and park it there, which our driver complied.”
And since then our only tow truck has been at the headquarters without any apparent reason,” the officers told Today.
Mincing no words, the worried personnel called on President John Dramani Mahama to impress upon Dr. Brown Gaisie to immediately release the tow truck.
They also complained about non-payment of their rent allowances which, according to them, has been in accumulation for the past four years, leaving some officers stranded.
They further complained about the lack of logistics including boots to use for work.
Earlier, when Today contacted the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GNFS, Mr. Prince Billy Anaglatey, via telephone, he initially declined to comment.
Instead Mr. Anaglatey wanted to find out from our reporter where he got his story.
However, when our reporter told him that he got the information from firemen in the Eastern Region, Mr. Anaglatey said: “Do you (referring to this reporter) know Dr. Brown Gaisie. He is the overall boss of the place. He is the administrator; so he decides at any particular time which vehicle of GNSF to be deployed to any place in the country.”
The GNFS PRO could neither confirm nor deny whether Dr. Brown Gaisie seized the tow truck and instructed that it be parked at GNFS headquarters in Accra.
He later told this reporter to call him at 2:00 pm during which time he would respond appropriately.
But when our reporter called him at 2:00 p.m., he failed to answer the call.
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