Sekyere East rejects JJ`s ally …Knives out for constituency chairman`s head …Government appointees to be withdrawn before second ballot

AN ATTEMPT by the Sekyere East District Assembly to elect a Chief Executive for the district proved futile when the President's nominee, Mr. Kwadwo Adae, failed to secure the required two-thirds votes last Monday.

Eighteen of the members representing 64.4% of the 28-member house voted in favour of the 59-year-old teacher, while 10 members voted against his nomination in total disregard for the Regional Minister's earlier plea to the assembly to ensure a 100% win for Mr. Adae, since time was not on their side for a second ballot.

Among the dignitaries who left disappointed were Nana Dr. Susubiribi Krobea Asante, chief of Asokore, Nana Adu Ameyaw, chief of Effiduase, Mr. Frank Boakye Agyen, MP for the area, party executives and heads of departments.

The nominee would, however, have another opportunity to test his popularity with the constituents in ten days time, when a second ballot would be conducted as required by electoral laws.

Eight members of the house, said to be government appointees of the house have been accused of causing the mess, under the alleged influence and machinations of the constituency Chairman Alhaji Adamu Issah, alias Malalas, who is also the local chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU).

Members appointed to the assembly by the government are Alhaji Adamu Issah, Nana Kwadwo Agyeman, Serwaa Brugyaa, Farouk Mohammed, Alice Akyena, Auntie Yaa Yeboah, Mr. Danso and Obeng Sekyere.

The decision of the government appointees to reject the President's nominee comes after the Regional Secretariat of the NDC had met them in Kumasi last week Thursday, following their rumoured intention and warned them against any such opposition to the President's nominee.

An insider at the meeting told The Chronicle that they were cautioned against any such position because it could cost them their appointments but they would not listen.

Irate youth of the NDC have attributed the mishap of the nominee to Malalas and one businessman Nana Kwadwo Agyeman, alias Coach, who are both accused of masterminding the rejection of Mr. Adae, a known close associate of the founder of the party.

Hardly had the Electoral Commission announced the results than the ten government appointees sneaked out of the Effiduase Methodist Church where the election was conducted to save their dear lives.

The youth have charged and drawn the knives for the chairman's head. They have sworn never to have anything to do with Malalas or the government appointees.

The angry youth have registered their anger by marching to the local GPRTU premises and destroying chairs, tables and documents at the office. At the time of filing this report, The Chronicle had gathered that the embittered constituency chairman had fled the wrath of the youth, who are bent on burning down his house.

Mohammed Inua, a spokesman of the NDC youth called for the revocation of the appointment of the eight appointees to avoid a recurrence of last Monday's incident.

He vouched for the commitment and loyalty of Mr. Adae to the party since 2000 when he defected to the NDC, which party he represented in the 2004 and 2008 parliamentary elections. The youth leader said it was unfortunate that Malalas was allowed to hand pick his cronies as government appointees.

As a result of the precarious situation at Effiduase, some of the elected assembly members have also vowed to reject any other nominee in case Mr. Adae does not go through at the second ballot.

Meanwhile, sources at the Regional Secretariat of the NDC have indicated that the government appointees would be withdrawn as soon as possible for disenting the nomination of the President and thus indicting the party.

From Kumawu, Nana Odoom reports that the Sekyere Afram Plains District Assembly have confirmed the appointment of 50-year-old Educationist, Mr. Jacob Kofi Dankwa as the new District Chief Executive.

Mr. Dankwah, who holds a Master's Degree in Educational Management from the University of Cape Coast, polled 35 (94.5%) of the 37 votes cast. The new DCE promised to work with all stakeholders to help accelerate the development of the district.

The assembly also elected Mr. S.A. Awienfour also known as “Senior Minister”, as its new Presiding Member, polling 34 votes to beat his main contender, Mr. Fredua Agyeman, who got three votes.

Mr. Awienfour, who has been an assembly man since 1987, has since been sworn into office as PM by the Circuit Court Judge, Mr. Samuel Sarpong Appiah.

In a related development, Nana Peprah Koduah IV, acting President of the Kumawu Traditional Council, is not happy that chiefs in the area were not consulted by the government as promised by the President, in relation to appointment of persons to the assemblies.