Tension in Ada East over sacking of 9 government appointees

There is confusion in Ada East District of the Greater Accra Region following what a group calling itself Ada Youth for Development (AYD) has described as “unlawful and unfair dismissal” of nine (9) government appointees to the Assembly.

A dismissal letter dated Monday, May 15, 2017 signed and certified by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Ishmael Ashitey, and sighted by Today reads in part: “H.E President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo acting under section (9) sub-section (6a) of the Local Government Act 2016 (Act 936) has revoked your appointment as a Government Appointee with the Ada East District Assembly with immediate effect.”

The letter continues that “You therefore cease to be members of the Ada East District Assembly accordingly.”

But, this decision by the minister and President Akufo-Addo has been widely condemned by the group, including some opinion leaders in the area.

The youth could not fathom why the government appointees should be sacked just because they rejected the nomination of the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ada, Mrs. Sarah Pobee.

Consequently, the AYD has given an ultimatum to the president and the regional minister to reverse the decision or incur their wrath.

“As much as we acknowledge and appreciate the President’s constitutional mandate and powers, particularly (Article 243) by which Madam Sarah Pobee was nominated as the DCE, we are equally disappointed in the President and the Greater Accra Regional Minister and other political actors who are riding on political power to undermine the constitutional rights, and victimise the Honourable Members of the Ada East District Assembly who were constitutionally elected to serve the interest of the good people of Ada,” the group fumed.

The group explained that the revocation of appointment of the nine government appointees on Monday, May15, 2017 by the President quoting the Local Government Act 2016 (Act 936), Section (9), sub-section (6a) was an indication of the minister’s ignorance of the act or a deliberate attempt to abuse the rule of law.

The group noted that inasmuch the President is vested with the power to ‘hire and fire,’ the rejection of a DCE nominee should not have been used as a benchmark to revoke the appointment of the nominees without recourse to the principle of good governance.

For this reason, the AYD called on the President to respect the voices of “our Assembly members, the youth, opinion leaders and the Ada East people in its entirety regarding his nominee for the District Chief Executive position.”

“Inasmuch as we the people of Ada respect and acknowledge the President’s power to appoint the DCE, we also believe that a vote of 13 ‘yes,’ against 23 ‘no,’ was the voice of the people and must be acknowledged and respected by all,” the group affirmed.