Sack MCE now - NDC youth charge Mahama

National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth in Trobu-Amasaman constituency in the Ga West Municipality has issued a strong-worded petition to President John Dramani Mahama, calling on him to relieve the Ga West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Sam Attukwei Quaye, of his duties.

Consequently, the petitioners also gave President Mahama a 14-day ultimatum to fire the embattled Mr. Attukwei Quaye or else they will “advise” themselves.

The youth in the petition dated Monday, February 8, 2016 and addressed to the President and signed by the Constituency Secretary of Trobu NDC, Mr. Edmund Palmer Quarshie, deputy Constituency Secretary, Mr. Robert Kwaku Boglo including 160 other members stated that the action(s) and in actions of the embattled MCE were affecting the Mahama-led NDC government in the two constituencies adversely.

The petition, which this paper chanced upon, was also copied to the Chief of Staff, Mr. Julius Debrah, National Chairman of the NDC, Dr. Kofi Portuphy, General Secretary, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, National Organiser, Mr. Kofi Adams, Greater Accra Regional Chairman, Mr. Joseph Kwabena Ade-Coker, and Ga West MCE.

Meanwhile, the Office of the President, the national and greater Accra regional executives of the ruling NDC have confirmed to journalists that they have received a copy of the said petition and assured to respond to the queries in it.

“The call has become very necessary in the face of various acts and omissions of the MCE which are not inuring to the benefit of President Mahama, the government and the National Democratic Congress, especially going in into next year's crucial elections,” the petition intercepted by Today noted.

It among other things accused the MCE of incompetency, being lackadaisical towards his job, an allegation, Mr. Quaye had since denied.

“The call for a 56 per cent victory for his Excellency President John Dramani Mahama has necessitated the need to write this petition to redeem the land of Trobu-Amasaman constituency for the NDC.”

“We the members of the NDC in the Ga West Municipality are hereby calling for the immediate removal of the Hon. Municipal Chief Executive, Sam Attukwei Quaye, to halt the creeping apathy as a result of his misdeeds and restore hope to enhance our ability to redeem and win the two constituencies in the municipality for the NDC,” the petition asserted.

According to the petitioners, their reasons for calling for the removal of the MCE stemmed from the high level of open disrespect by Mr. Quaye which they claimed was denting the image of the NDC in the constituency.

Notable among them, the petitioners said, was the demolishing of a building stretched from Pokuase junction, starting from Melbond Microfinance and ending on Biege Capital which they alleged the MCE said he did that through the orders of President Mahama.

The petitioners mentioned that on January 28, 2015 Mr. Quaye sold 14.04 acres of assembly land only for 300,000 Ghana Cedis without the knowledge and approval of the assembly.

They stressed that “the people of Ga West want to know how a learned person could give such a huge land for such an amount of money.”

They further alleged that the MEC took bribe from Unique Development Company Limited and out of that money built a party office for the Amasaman Constituency.

According to the petitioners, the MCE even challenged them to find out how the party built its headquarters, implying that it was also built through” kick-backs.”

“If the Hon. MCE sold a plot of land in a prime area in Amasaman at an amount of 5,000 Ghana Cedis when the current price of a plot of land in a prime area in Amasaman is over 100,000 Ghana Cedis then this act of corruption must go,” they opined.

The petitioners stated that the MCE was well noted for corruption in the municipal assembly which development was reducing the popularity of the government and as such thwarting the efforts of the President in the constituency.

“A divide and rule leader who has no respect for the party, no recognition and will openly tell executives that we know that those around him are NPP and is more than ready to leave office at any moment the president will ask him to leave office he will organize a press conference to thank him because he has had enough,” the petitioners stated.

And as if all these were not enough, the MCE, the petitioners further alleged, demanded the transfer of all civil servants who did not support his style of administration.

Earlier, in an interview with Today via telephone on Thursday, February 11, 2016, Mr. Quaye denied the allegation by the petitioners that he sold a land meant for development of the area.

“As the Municipal Chief Executive….we have 25 electoral areas within the Ga West Municipality. So, I do not own lands neither do I sell lands. I do not have the capacity as MCE to sell land. So I do not give indentures by selling lands to anybody,” he stressed.

On the allegation of demolishing buildings, he said the assembly has the authority to demolish any building structures which were on any unauthorised places within the Ga West municipality.