General News of Thursday, 13 November 2014

Source: The Chronicle

KATH CEOs vote at NDC congress

IT IS now obvious that the position of the Chief Executive Officer for the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is a job reserved for only members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Both the immediate past and the current CEOs of KATH were spotted actively participating in the Ashanti Regional Congress of the ruling party at the National Youth Centre, at Ahinsan in the Asokwa Constituency.

Prof. Ohene Adjei and Henry Akpaloo were part of delegates who cast their ballots at the congress to elect regional officers who will steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.

At the time of filing this report, both personalities had gone through the voting processes and were waiting anxiously for the declaration of results.

The news though, may not have come as a surprise to many, considering how the former acting CEO of KATH, Mr. Isaiah Offeh Gyimah, failed to secure the nod as substantive head of the medical institution, despite the overwhelming vote of confidence from the hospital’s workforce.

According to investigations by The Chronicle, the current CEO of KATH, Mr. Akpaloo, was one of the vociferous voices against the former Chief Executive in the era of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Nisan Asare and also led similar onslaught against the immediate past CEO, Prof. Ohene Adjei, who exited the seat with a heavy heart.

When The Chronicle got access to the Centre, after navigating through heavy security, Prof. Ohene Adjei had just finished casting his ballot, whilst the new CEO of KATH, Mr. Akpaloo, was seated at the high table, sandwiched between the defeated Regional Youth Organizer, Kwaku Boahen and other party gurus.

Meanwhile, the popularity of the General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, aka General Mosquito, came under serious threat yesterday after he was booed and jeered by delegates at the congress grounds of the party.

The attempt by General Mosquito to skew his message in favour of the incumbent Regional Chairman, Mr. Yaw Obimpeh, was met with huge disapproval from the delegates, who shouted “away, away”, to truncate his speech.

The NDC’s General Secretary had wittingly attempted to carve his message in favour of Mr. Obimpeh, by warning the delegates to be wary of change of leadership in the region.

According to General Mosquito, not every change is positive in politics and that the delegates should remember those who have worked and got the party to power and not the latter day ones, who want to push their way through to leadership, because they have money.

Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, who has threatened to advice himself should the current National Chairman and close friend, Dr. Kwabena Adjei fail, said though he believes in change, he thinks that not all change is positive and that the delegates should bear that in mind.

But his insinuative message, which is very typical of him, did not go down well with many delegates, who stood up and started shouting, to register their displeasure. At the time of filing this report, voting was still ongoing amidst tension and heavy security.