Regional News of Tuesday, 5 November 2002

Source: Chronicle

Demo Against DCE

The youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party and some concerned citizens in the Ajaumako-Enyan-Essiam District in the Central Region, defied odds and the then on-going orientation workshop for the newly elected Assembly member on last Monday, October 21, and demonstrated peacefully through some principal streets of the District capital, Ajumako, calling for the removal of the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. John Kenneth Obempong who had been accused of multiple acts of malfeasance.

When newsmen arrived at Ajumako in the early hours of the day, a clean-up campaign had been carried out around the Police Station and some selected areas.

A large crowd estimated to be over 800 and in two batches with placards, dancing to a brass-band music, paraded through the streets and finally presented a 16-point resolution to Mr. Kojo Odoom Ampia-Biney, the Presiding Member (PM) at the former School of Languages where the workshop for the assembly members was in session.

After the presentation of the resolution by Mr. Amstrong Biney, the NPP Constituency Organiser at the security mounted main-gate of the premises, Mr. Ampia-Biney cautiously pleaded with the irate crowd to exercise restraint over their petition and promised forwarding it to the appropriate quarters for redress.

On the newsmen's arrival at the assembly's premises, the conference hall of the assembly had been turned into a storeroom where the DCE has stock-piled cement and broken down chairs.

The District Commander of Police for the area, Superintendent Kpodo, became furious after the presentation of the resolution accusing the constituency organiser, Mr. Amstrong-Biney of not informing the police about the demonstration with placards but stated in their application for permit having a clean-up campaign and a procession.

Some of the numerous placards read, "?7 million safe at ?12 million," "Selfish, shame," "Imposter," "Party Destroyer," "DCE sand contractor," "Window Curtains - ?29m" and "MP's Destroyer."