Koforidua, Feb. 24, GNA - Osabarima Owusu Gyamadu, chief of Akyem Anyinase near Akyem Oda, was on Tuesday elected the Eastern Regional representative on the Council of State.

The 64-year-old farmer polled 33 votes out of the 41 total valid votes cast with one ballot rejected to defeat other five contestants in an election supervised by the Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr Paul Boateng in Koforidua on Tuesday.

Elder Michael Agyekum, Chief Executive Officer of the Kama Group of Companies, had seven votes, Dr Adolph Appiah, a medical officer at Saint Joseph Hospital in Koforidua and Reverend (Mrs) Paullina Yeboah, did not obtain any vote and Mr Jerry Ntow Siaw, a student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science of Technology in Kumasi polled one vote. Nana Kodua Kesse, chief of Oyoko near Koforidua, Mr Ampofo Duodu, a retired educationist and Mr Fredrick Ohene Kena, former Minister of Energy, who filed their nominations to contest the election, withdrew from the race at the last hour.

The Eastern Regional Minster, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo commended the candidates for making themselves available for the elections and gave the assurance that he would corporate with Osabarima Gyamadu for the development of the region.

The Regional Minister appealed to the defeated candidates to support the elected representative to enable him to perform his duties efficiently.

Mr Ampofo said he would operate an open door policy in order to take all the people on board.

Osabarima Anyimadu thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and gave the assurance that he would ensure that the region had its fair share of the national cake.