Atimpoku, April, 29, GNA-Three paramouncies in the Asuogyaman District- Akwamu, Boso Gua and Anum, have kicked against the appointment of Mr Johnson Ahiakpor, as District Chief Executive, (DCE) for the area. The three paramouncies, led by their paramount chiefs, Nana Osei Nyarko, President of Boso- Gua Traditional Council, Nana Amo Bekae, IV, Acting President of the Akwamu Traditional Council and Nana Appiah Kumi II, President of the Anum Traditional Council staged a three- hour demonstration through the main streets of Atimpoku, the district capital, to register their protest.

They later converged at the compound of the District Assembly to send a petition to the District Coordinating Director to be forwarded to the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo. Addressing the large crowd who were wearing red and black cloths, Nana Osei Nyarko, Paramount Chief of the Boso- Gua Traditional Area, said they opposed the appointment of Mr Ahiakpor.

He said there were equally good and qualified materials like Mr Ahiakpor and it would be a surprise to assume that a settler had the welfare of the district at heart than themselves. Nana Nyarko said prior to the nomination of Mr Ahiakpor, there were speculation in the media which suggested that the chiefs and people of the three traditional areas supported the nominee, which he considered as mere propaganda agenda set by Mr. Ahiakpor and his supporters. "We acknowledge the fact that the President has the prerogative right to appoint but it should be noted that what his appointment does has direct effect on us, and our subjects and that was why consultation were necessary," he said.

Nana Nyarko said prior to the nomination of Mr Ahiakpor, the three chiefs sent a petition to the Regional Minister to register their protest against the nominee per a letter dated March 10 2009, but to their surprise the letter was never acknowledged by the Minister. Nana Nyarko described the failure to consult them before the appointment of Mr Ahiakpor as an attempt to relegate them to the background, which is clearly in contradiction to the President's promise that he would confer with Nananom in process of nomination of DCEs. He accused Mr Ahiakpor of instigating the Ewe settlers in the district against the indigenous people to the extent of telling them that because they were from the Volta Region, their areas of settlement must belong to that region, thus creating tension and acrimony between them and the Ewe communities.

"We are not being tribalistic, we are on record to have had a settler also from the Volta Region as our DCE without any complaint whatsoever, and we went on well with him so it should be noted that we indeed have course to complain and acknowledge the mandate of the President to nominate," he stressed. Nana Nyarko cautioned that they would not collaborate with Mr Ahiakpor when the President goes ahead to appoint him. They later slaughtered a sheep at the compound of the District Assembly to signify their rejection of Mr Ahiakpor as DCE for Asuogyaman. 29 April 09