Don’t Ask Favours From DCEs - Prez Kufuor

President J.A. Kufuor has advised assembly members of newly created districts against asking favours from district chief executives (DCEs) so that they can demand accountability from the DCEs.

He said assembly members should not be interested only in their welfare but work together with the DCEs for the betterment of the people.

President Kufuor gave the advice when separate delegations of chiefs and elders from the Ketu North and Nkwanta North districts, both in the Volta Region, and the Sunyani West District in the Brong Ahafo Region paid courtesy calls on him at the Castle, Osu, yesterday.

The delegations from the three districts were at the Castle to express appreciation to the President and the government for creating new districts for them.

Also at the Castle was a joint delegation of chiefs and elders from the Asutifi and Tano North districts, both in the Brong Ahafo Region. The delegation was at the Castle to thank the President for his investment drive, which had resulted in the establishment of Newmont Ghana Limited, a mining company, at Kenyasi.

The delegation used the occasion to request the government to facilitate the construction of roads, upgrading of health centres, provision of accommodation and lecture hall facilities for the College of Renewable Natural Resources and the proposed Medical Science Department in Sunyani.

Receiving the delegations from Ketu North, Nkwanta North and Sunyani West, President Kufuor cautioned new assembly members against lobbying for contracts from the DCEs, instead of focusing on their core responsibilities.

He said when assembly members engaged in lobbying for contracts, they would lose respect before the DCEs and the engagement between them would eventually become a master-servant relationship.

President Kufuor expressed concern about agitation by some people over the siting of district capitals and asked the chiefs and elders to advise those people to change their stance.

Expressing appreciation earlier, the Omanhene of Awuah Dumase, Nana Kwame Korang VI, who led the delegation from Sunyani West, was hopeful that the creation of the new district would facilitate the development of the area.

Togbe Sorkpor III of Wheta, who led the delegation from Ketu North, thanked the President for creating the district, which he said had been on the drawing board for a long time.

Ubor Bejila of Abunyanya, on behalf of the delegation from Nkwanta North, also expressed gratitude to the President for the creation of the district and for fulfilling his campaign promise to provide water, a school and electricity for the people.