Residents of Nkwanta South municipality of the Oti region have intercepted a District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) Programme bulldozer machine which has allegedly been appropriated by the municipal engineer for his private use without due process.

The residents said they picked information and acted swiftly and have intercepted the machine in the possession of some White men.

According the residents, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) after losing the 2024 election was trying to take the machine away from the municipal or the region.

They asserted every government property belonged to the state and whether there was a change of government or not, the machines must be kept for their intended purposes.

The residents, therefore, called on the municipal security council and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) to, as a matter of urgency, address the situation and ensure the engineer was punished to serve as a deterrent to others.

The MCE for Nkwanta South, Felix Owusu-Gyimah, who confirmed the situation said the engineer was going to use the bulldozer for his private works without authorisation.

"All the machines that belong to the municipality move with my approval which means, it can not be taken without my approval and this bulldozer belongs to the region but was used for a road construction ahead of the election.

"After it has been used, it should be returned to the regional level but the engineer took the machine out for his personal use without informing me," he Owusu-Gyimah narrated.

Meanwhile, the regional coordinator for the DRIP programme, Festus Kweku Tewiah Okpora, said he was not aware of the decision by the municipal engineer to use the state machine without the approval of the MCE or the regional coordinator's.

"My point is that I wasn't aware of such arrangements to use the machine privately. All I know is that, the Municipal Chief Executive requested for the machines to be used for the construction of some virgin roads ahead of the election and it is expected that it will be returned to the region after use," Mr Tewiah Okpora said.

"The information I am picking tells me that the White men spotted in the video are Roman Father's from a Catholic mission resident in Nkwanta, building a church," he explained, further.

"They have made payment for fuel to the engineer at the assembly to clear a site for a mission work without our knowledge."

Mr Tewiah Okpora assured the machine was intercepted and was currently at the municipal police station to help with investigation.

He urged all engineers to desist from using the machine meant for public use for their private and personal interest.

He added the suspects had been taken to the police station for their statements to be taken to assist with investigation.