Sunyani rejects MCE

A section of the demonstrators yesterday From the North to the South and the East to the West, series of protests have greeted President J.E.A. Mills' nominees for the Municipal and District Chief Executive (M/DCE) positions.

Analysts have attributed the current tensed development to the little background checks done by the appointing authority, which they say could weaken the structures of the governing party if appropriate steps are not taken to address the numerous concerns the grassroots people have raised.   

Reports reaching DAILY GUIDE from the four corners of the Brong Ahafo Region clearly suggest that virtually all the President's nominations have been kicked against by the people, a situation that could undermine the local governance system.   

Yesterday in Sunyani, the regional capital, NDC youth and some party sympathizers took to the streets, amid chanting of war songs to express their displeasure about the MCE nominee for the municipality.   

The irate youth called for the immediate resignation of the Regional Minister, Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, for misinforming the Castle that led to the appointment of one Kwasi Oppong Ababio, instead of their “idol”, Justice Samuel Adjei.   

They marched through the principal streets of the municipality clad in red, and later presented their petition to the Deputy Regional Minister, Eric Opoku, at the forecourt of the Regional Coordinating Council.   

They have threatened that if nothing was done to address their concern within the next few days, they would advise themselves.

The two-page petition quoted President Mills when he addressed his last campaign rally at the Victoria Park in Sunyani in December 2008, where he promised the people that he would give his office keys to the then parliamentary candidates for both Sunyani East and West.   

According to the petition, true to President Mills' word, the candidate for the Sunyani West (Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo) has been given the regional minister position. However, Justice Samuel Adjei was left out in the appointment.  

“We were waiting to hear our own candidate (Justice Samuel Adjei), who also lost the seat, named as a minister or deputy minister but to our surprise, not even a mere position of Municipal Chief Executive has been given to him, why?” Hudu Moro, spokesperson for the group said.   

The Deputy Regional Minister assured the party supporters that he would submit the petition to the presidency to ensure that immediate action was taken to address their concerns.  

Meanwhile, the Omanhene of the Atebubu Traditional Area, Nana Owusu Akyeaw II, has threatened to go on hunger strike if the President did not withdraw Sanja Nanja as the DCE nominee for the Atebubu-Amantin District.   

Nana Owusu Akyeaw told DAILY GUIDE that he personally visited President Mills at the Castle twice to present a list of suitable candidates from which the President could have picked one, prior to the announcement of the nominees.   

However, to his surprise, the President did not only disregard their submission, but went ahead to appoint a stranger who hails from Kokomba in the Northern Region.   

The Omanhene noted that the people in the area have demonstrated against the nominee and the Chiefs were set to meet the President once again to present their petition to him.

From Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani