Atiwa West: Commissioning of astroturf in Kwabeng ends in chaos

A commissioning ceremony for a newly constructed AstroTurf in Kwabeng, in the Atiwa West District of the Eastern Region, over the weekend ended in chaos after the District Chief Executive (DCE), Amo Johnson Anom, allegedly deployed security operatives to stop the Member of Parliament (MP), Laurette Korkor Asante, from inaugurating the project, she initiated.

The AstroTurf, funded by the GNPC Foundation, was lobbied for in 2022 by the MP, Korkor Asante, who succeeded Kwasi Amoako Attah, former Minister for Roads and Highways, as MP for Atiwa West.

The project was completed in November 2024, but commissioning was delayed because of the general elections.

Since the National Democratic Congress (NDC) took power in January 2025, Amo Johnson Anom has served as DCE.

Critics say he has not initiated any major project in his over four months in office, with many accusing him of attempting to block the MP from taking credit for development initiatives.

The MP accused the District Chief Executive (DCE), Amo Johnson Anom, of using security operatives to frustrate her attempt to commission the newly built AstroTurf.

MP’s Account

Narrating what happened, the MP said the project was fully completed in November 2024, after she lobbied for it through the GNPC Foundation.

According to her, she scheduled the commissioning event last week to finally open the facility for public use, and the National security came to halt the commissioning.

She described the act as politically motivated, stressing that the people of Atiwa West deserved better.

She argued that even though the auxiliary structures were yet to be added, the pitch itself was ready and safe for use.

The DCE’s Accounts

Speaking to The Daily Gist after the incident, the DCE defended his actions, stressing that all government projects — regardless of who lobbied for them — fall under the custody of the assemblies.

According to him, “The project is not complete. It is a one-package project that includes a 200-capacity facility.”

He further explained that the assembly, not MPs, are the custodians of government projects, and therefore commissioning without proper handing-over processes was wrong.

“Yes, because as soon as you hand over the project, what do you do as an MP again? You don’t do anything on the project. If it is an asset, it becomes an asset of the assembly; if it is a liability, it becomes a liability of the assembly.”

The DCE further claimed that intelligence reports indicated the MP planned to commission the AstroTurf without assembly involvement.

According to him, efforts were made to engage her but proved unsuccessful.

“When we picked the intelligence that she intended to commission the project, we decided to meet her in Parliament. So my coordinating director and the engineer went to Accra. We called her several times, she didn’t answer, and we returned,” he said.

Claim of Incomplete Work

Anom also argued that the project was not fully completed and should not have been commissioned.

“The NDC youth also said, no way, the project is not completed. The pro ject is a one-package project and it is supposed to have a 200-capacity facility. That has not been built. They just raised the blocks, nothing more. So if you go ahead to commission the project, where is the contractor?” the DCE asked.

He emphasized that it was the contractor’s responsibility to finish work, hand over the keys to the GNPC Foundation, and then formally transfer the facility to the assembly for management and maintenance.

“You, as an MP, can lobby for projects, but you don’t take custody of the projects because you don’t even have a management team that will ensure maintenance and sustainability,” he stated.

“So you must sit down with the assembly to fix a date convenient to all stakeholders.”

Lack of Stakeholder Involvement

The DCE also accused the MP of sidelining critical stakeholders in the commissioning arrangements.

“She wrote letters of invitation to people, which the assembly was not even aware of. Neither were we even served a copy to know what she intended to do,” he revealed

“Where were the owners of the land? Where were the assembly members of the community? Where was the assembly, which is the administrative head of the district? Can an MP alone run a government?” the DCE questioned.

Security Concerns And DISEC Decision

According to Anom, the situation escalated when tensions brewed in town, forcing the District Security Council (DISEC), which he chairs, to intervene.

“When it started boiling in the town that the NDC youth would go and block the event, the security apparatus informed me as chairman of DISEC. So quickly, DISEC convened an emergency meeting. We even invited her party leaders, but she herself refused to attend. Her chairman and secretary came. We deliberated and decided the commissioning must be put on hold,” he recounted.

He said DISEC wrote to the Regional Minister, who later directed the Regional Security Coordinator and the police commander to engage the MP.

“The regional security coordinator with the police commander engaged the MP for two hours. She said, ‘Oh, okay, I’ve heard you.’ She claimed she was only going to greet the Presby pastor. But not knowing, the intent was to go and commission the project,” the DCE narrated.

The Disruption at Kwabeng

The DCE confirmed that security operatives prevented the commissioning from taking place.

“The place had already been taken over by the police and national security to ensure peace. She went ahead to the field, held a microphone, and was going to make a declaration that she lobbied for it and was going to commission the project. During that, some people dismantled the microphone. That was the only thing that ensued there. She was then whisked away in her vehicle,” he said.

Anom insisted the MP, and not him, was at fault. “So me, if you say somebody has been lawless, it is the MP. She flouted the directives of DISEC. She flouted the directives of the Regional Security Council,” he argued.

“The project is not completed. When you commission today and the contractor decides to abandon the project, who suffers? Is it not Ghana? Is it not the taxpayer? Why do we deliberately cause a financial loss to the state?”

He added: “I don’t know whether she just wanted to attract media attention. After all, I am just four months in office. Even if I had started a project the day I stepped foot in office, it would not be ready to commission today.”

The DCE said the assembly would only permit the commissioning when the project is fully complete, stakeholders are involved, and the contractor officially hands over.

The MP sees the project as a major achievement, while the NDC-led district administration insists that due process must be followed.

The controversy has left residents frustrated as the AstroTurf remains locked, with both sides trading accusations over who should take credit for the project.

For now, the Kwabeng AstroTurf remains in limbo, caught in a tug-of-war between an NPP MP determined to showcase her lobbying power and an NDC DCE intent on asserting assembly authority.