INFORMATION REACHING the paper indicates that the New Patriotic party (NPP) has initiated behind the scene moves in search of a new candidate to take over from the Tema Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Evans Ashong Narh, following the party's decision to remove him from office.

The new candidate, once found, will be nominated and presented before the President, Mr. J. A. Kufuor, for approval, we learnt.

A highly placed source at the corridors of the government who disclosed this to the paper said the party's decision is as a result of reports it has received to the fact that the MCE's performance in his two years of office has not been satisfactory.

Another reason why the party has decided to remove him from office, according to our source, hinges on a very important information the MCE is holding back from the executives of the party, regarding the award of contracts in the famous fumigation project, which attracted a lot of media attention.

Our sources disclosed that the party has detected that the MCE has no direct connection in the award of the fumigation contract in which he was alleged to have executed without the approval of the assembly and that there is a high profiled NPP personality who was in the thick of affairs, of which the MCE is privy to but whose identity he has refused to disclosed.

A source at the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) hinted the paper that the NPP search team anchored at their premises to pick a candidate there (name withheld) but the man was said to have declined the offer with the simple reason that he was not interested.

However, Mr. Evans Ashong Narh when contacted told the paper that he was not aware of the involvement of any party guru in the award of the fumigation project and as far as he is concerned the assembly did everything all by themselves.

He noted that all the unit members in the assembly, including the presiding member, were present and approved when the deserving bidder won the tender.

Regarding the allegation of non-performance on his part, the MCE smiled and said he knew people in the municipality who can attest to the fact that he has done a lot since his assumption in office two years ago.

He however admitted that there is one person (name withheld) who has been placing impediments in his way over the period, any time he initiates a plan but "I think in spite of that I have done greatly."

When asked about the kind of relationship between him and the national executive members of the party, he said there exists a very cordial one, adding that each time they meet they exchange pleasantries, but he does not know whether any of them harbours bad feelings against him.