General News of Wednesday, 15 August 2007

Source: Chronicle

DCE Bans NDC Activities

Reports from the Wassa area within the week reaching the Chronicle has it that the District Chief Executive for Amenfi East in the Western Region, Mrs. Doris Gyampoma has ordered the Chief of Dawurampong near Wassa Akropong, Nana Kwame Enimil II to ban all NDC-related meetings and activities in the village. It is said that the alleged embargo from the DCE was issued as a condition that must be met before any development projects would be sent to the town that is considered as NDC stronghold in the District.

DCE Gyampomaa reportedly gave the orders to the Chief on July 22nd this year after the latter had gone to her to discuss the development plans she had for the town. The DCE was reported to be concerned about the rowdinessway of the NDC in the area, which she was not happy with.

All attempts to get the DCE to comment on them did not materialise but Nana Enimil however confirmed to this reporter that the DCE indeed ordered him to stop NDC activities in the town before he could get development projects.

The Chief who had initially refused to comment on the matter because of the way he was being harassed by journalists, said when the DCE gave him the order, he also called a meeting in the town and informed his subjects.

According to Nana Kwame Enimil he was reluctant to speak to journalists due to the high tension in the town as a result of the orders from the DCE.

He euphemistically told this reporter that the DCE did not know his political affiliation and that it was wrong for her to have given him such orders.

The Chief further told this reporter that the Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo was aware about the strong presence of the NDC in the town yet he did not neglect them with his development projects. “I was expecting the DCE to behave the same wa stop NDC activities in the area because he wanted development in the area. ‘I was expecting in the DCE to behave the same way instead of giving sucn orders to me”, he noted.

Despite this claim by the Chief, he reportedly went ahead to inform a a local Journalist stationed in the area. Mr. Isaac Commey also confirmed the allegation in a telephone interview with The Chronicle. The reporter further confirmed that the Chief convened a meeting in the town where he broke the news to his subjects.

The National Chairman of NPP, Peter Mac Manu has meanwhile doubted the claim that the allegation is true. He said if the claim is true, the NPP as a party would disassociate itself from the orders,adding that the party is national party that transcended tribla and religious lines.

Mr. Manu, who confirmed that the DCE had indeed traveled outside the country, said he knew her to be a democrat and would therefore not do what was being attributed to her.

He however said if the allegation turned out to be true, NPP as a party and the government would disassociate themselves from it. He said NPP is a national party that transcended tribal and religious lines.

The party and the government, according to him, do not also believe in discrimination when it comes to development projects.

In a related development, the Western Regional Organizer of the NDC, Mr. Solomon Nkansah has issued a statement condemning the behaviour of the DCE.

According to the statement, the dubious and unconstitutional tactics employed by the NPP to intimidate and stifle the NDC was not the best and called therefore called on chiefs to respect the constitution that barred them from doing active partisan politics.