TEMA, Ghana, 13th June: The Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has questioned the decision by Minority Members of Parliament to visit the Afari Military Hospital construction site without what he believes was the necessary prior notification and clearance.
According to Abraham Koomson, the Afari Military Hospital is a military installation and, as such, access to the facility is subject to security protocols that must be respected by all individuals and groups, regardless of their status.
His comments follow a visit by Minority Members on Parliament’s Health Committee earlier this week to the over 500-bed Afari Military Hospital in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of the Ashanti Region.
The MPs, led by the Ranking Member on the Committee, Nana Ayew Afriyie, called for the immediate operationalisation of the facility, arguing that the hospital has remained abandoned and continues to deteriorate despite its potential to ease pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
The lawmakers said their visit formed part of a broader inspection tour of neglected health facilities in the Ashanti Region amid growing concerns about healthcare infrastructure challenges, including ongoing pressures at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
However, the visit took an unexpected turn when military personnel stationed at the facility confronted the MPs and members of the public who accompanied them.
The soldiers reportedly questioned the group’s presence on the premises and insisted that the visit had not been cleared through the appropriate military channels, leading to a tense exchange between both sides.
The Minority MPs maintained that their visit was part of Parliament’s oversight responsibilities and was intended to assess the condition of a major public health facility that has remained uncompleted for years.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme, Abraham Koomson defended the actions of the military personnel, insisting that security procedures must be followed when accessing military installations.
“You cannot simply wake up one day and enter a security zone without informing the appropriate authorities. The military was right to enforce the rules governing access to the facility,” he said.
He further argued that members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who are now criticising the state of the project, had the opportunity to complete the hospital during their eight years in government but failed to do so.
According to him, the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration should remain focused on governance and development rather than being distracted by what he described as political tactics aimed at shifting public attention.
He also called on NDC party to empower their grassroots at the regional and district levels to become more active in defending government policies and responding to political criticism.
“Not every political battle should be fought from Accra. Party structures at the grassroots level must be empowered to engage and respond to issues within their respective communities,” he stated.
Mr. Koomson further noted that former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commissioned the Afari Military Hospital project and publicly associated himself with it, yet the facility remains uncompleted years later.
He said it was therefore surprising that members of the same political tradition are now mounting pressure on the current administration over a project that remained unfinished throughout their tenure in office.
“The people who had the opportunity to complete the hospital are now demanding answers from a government that inherited the project. That is what makes the situation difficult to understand,” he added.
LISTEN TO ABRAHAM KOOMSON IN THE AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭
