New Juaben MCE nominee shot down by 3 votes

The Municipal Chief Executive nominee for New Juaben in the Eastern region has been shot down by just three votes required to secure the needed percentage for her confirmation by the assembly.

The MCE Nominee Comfort Asante pulled 49 out of the 78 votes cast representing 62.9% of the total valid votes cast in the election supervised by the Electoral Commission of Ghana on Monday under tight security.

The confirmation exercise has therefore been postponed to Wednesday, May 17, 2017 for the second opportunity in accordance with the local government act.

Disappointment by Dignitaries

The tensed confirmation exercise attracted dignitaries such as Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Board Chairman of COCOBOD also a former Member of Parliament for New Juaben North, Dr. Mark Asibe Yeboah and Nana Agyei Boateng both MPs for New Juaben South and North respectively, the Executive Secretary of Free Zones board, Michael Owusu Baafi an appointee at the Assembly, the regional and Constituencies executives of ruling NPP led by the regional Chairman, Mr.Kingston Kusi as well as the Eastern regional Minister, Kwakye Darfuor and his Deputy Joseph Tetteh.

The Regional Minister and Hackman Owusu Agyemang both expressed their disappointments over failure by the Assembly to confirm the nominee.

According to them, apart from the cost implications, it does not show respect to the President who nominated the failed nominee adding that, such unfortunate event retard the development in the municipality.

Signs on the wall before the election

Before the nomination of the MCE, supporters of the party including some assembly members in the New Juaben South constituency agitated against attempt to appoint the MCE from New Juaben North constituency explaining that, the President has made all major appointments from New Juaben North leaving the party in New Juaben South as if it is bereft of qualified persons hence threatened to vote against the nominee if appointed from New Juaben North.

Angry supporters threaten to seize public toilets from Assembly members

Visibly angry supporters of the NPP who were at the New Juaben Municipal Assembly after the election threatened to seize all public toilets being managed by Assembly members in the Municipality should they fail to confirm the nominee on Wednesday.