Chiefs denied petition to President on DCE retention

Akyem-Oda, Jan. 19, GNA - The Acting President of the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council, Obrempong Affum Afronteng IV, has disassociated himself from a petition urging the President to retain Mr Yaw Amprofi as the Birim South District Chief Executive (DCE).

Reacting to a publication on Monday's issue of the "Daily Graphic", that he and thirteen other chiefs of the area and Assembly members have petitioned the President to retain Mr Amprofi as the DCE. He denied his involvement in any such petition and urged the President to ignore it. In a statement issued at Akyem-Oda and signed by Obrempong Affronteng to the President, he described the publication as "an impersonation" and called on the reporter to retract it with an apology. "I wish to inform his Excellency the President, that no such decision had been taken by any group of chiefs in a meeting anywhere at any time", the statement said.

It noted that the chiefs were aware that the power to nominate a DCE was the President's sole prerogative and not "through any pressure on him from chiefs or assembly members."

Obrempong Afronteng said in his capacity as the acting President of the Traditional Council, he had wished Mr Amprofi would help settle the Akyem Kotoku chieftaincy dispute to bring peace to the area, but this was not so.

The statement was copied to the acting Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, the acting Eastern Regional Minister, the Editor of the Graphic Communications Group Limited and the Akyem Oda constituency chairman of the NPP.