NDC Gurus Chase Dynamic DCE

President John Mills has dismissed some 13 District Chief Executives and Municipal Chief Executives for non-performance by early last month, however, in the Ketu South District of the Volta Region, two constituency executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have called on President Mills to re-assign their DCE because he is not giving them contracts to execute.

The two, Deputy Constituency Youth Organizer, Pascal Lamptey and Women’s Organizer, Miss Elizabeth Amegashiti, have made many trips to both seat of government,The Castle, the Local Government Ministry and also met some prominent individuals within the party towards having their DCE, Bernard Frank Amable, sacked.

Recently, Mr. Amable was hauled before a committee set up by President Mills at the Local Government Ministry where he was subjected to intense interrogation, but in the end, was found to be clean, and was told in no uncertain terms to go and continue his good works.

Present at the meeting were Mr. Elvis Effriyie Ankrah, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, Johnson Asiedu Nketia and Anita deSouza, who are part of the committee, could not attend, except Mr. Ankrah and some other government officials.

Mr. Amable, in response to the questions, presented documents and photographs of the projects he has initiated since his appointment.

Ahead of the meeting, Miss. Amegashiti and Mr. Lamptey had issued a communiqué saying that the DCE had lost touch with the grass root, and therefore, it will be politically suicidal for President Mills to continue keeping him at post, especially at a time when the 2012 general election is fast approaching.

“We the youth and women leadership in this district see him as a threat to our party’s electoral success in 2012 general Elections”, they warned, and insisted later on a local radio station in the border town of Aflao that the DCE has failed to cater for their needs, and rather turned all his attention on commissioning of projects in the district.

The DCE, on a local radio station, Light FM in Denu, the district capital, listed all the projects he embarked upon since he assumed office in May 2009, indicating that although some of the projects have been completed, others are on-going.

He mentioned some of the programme of activities as: the construction of three-unit classroom block at Tublukope, eight-seater water closet at Aflao Border School, an eight seater-water closet at Aflao Boarding School, a six -seater KVIP at Anoenu, a 12-seater water Closet at Hatsukope and a semi-detached bungalow at Tokor.

Others were a storey building at the Aflao Lorry Park with lockable stores and a host of other developmental projects, all in the Aflao traditional area. In the Somey traditional area, also in the Ketu South district, the DCE has been able to take the following projects: a three-unit classroom block at Sonuto, a six-seater KVIP at Yelibato, three-unit classroom block at Nogokpo and the rehabilitation of a three-unit classroom block at Yelibato.

Among the others are the construction of a six-unit classroom block at Babanawokope, the expansion of water projects from Nogokpo to the surrounding villages, a Day care Centre at Adafianu and the rehabilitation of the district library at Denu and others.

The Assembly is also putting up a ten-bedroom Guests House for use by state officials who visit the district to conduct state business but who have to spent the night in hotels at very exorbitant prices at the expense of the district. The construction is being sponsored from the internally-generated funds which have improved from ¢2 billion to ¢5 billion since May 2009.

The third and final area, which is the Klikor traditional area, has also seen drastic development changes and these include the rehabilitation of a 10km stretch of roads within the Klikor and Somey traditional areas, construction of Community Library at Unity School at Klikor, the rehabilitation of a four-unit classroom block at Klikor Central and the construction of 6 and 3 unit classroom blocks at Bodzakope, and Dornormadi respectively. He explained that he was appointed to represent the President in the district, saying that he is to execute development projects and not anybody’s personal interest.

He assured the people that he is not perturbed by the actions of his accusers, pointed out that he is focused at achieving all the targets he has set for the district.

Speaking to The Herald, Mr.Amable expressed regret about the stance of some of his executives, saying that what they are demanding of him is something he cannot give. He said that the Ghana at 50 probe is a lesson to him.

He said he has tried all he could to satisfy them yet, they are not happy with his effort, emphasizing that what they are demanding of him currently is not feasible.

In what looks like total support for the embattled DCE, the youth in the district have threatened to go on demonstration against the NDC executives for issuing a communiqué without their consent.

It is reported that the youth are very furious because the DCE is hardly seen in his office.

This is sending wrong signals to the youth, and they are linking his absence to the action by the executives of the party to get him reassigned.

The leader of the youth group, Mr. Elorm Addisenu, urged the President not to pay attention to the pleas of the executives as he termed their request as ‘useless’.

He threatened that the group will make sure that the district sees no peace should President Mills go ahead to reassign Mr. Amable because of the agitations by the NDC executives.

He alleged that some members of the opposition New Patriotic Party in the district are plotting to remove the otherwise hard-working DCE.