General News of Thursday, 24 January 2008

Source: GNA

Wa East say no to President Nominee

Funsi, (UWR), Jan. 24, GNA - Assembly Members of the Wa East District on Wednesday failed to confirm President John Agyekum Kefir's nominee, Mr. Isaac B. Alitu for the post of a District Chief Executive. The 23-member House voted 13 for Mr. Alitu and nine voted against him.

He failed to obtain 15 votes needed to make up two-thirds of the required votes for his confirmation and the House is to reconvene within 10 days to reconsider confirming him as he has been able to obtain more than 50 per cent of valid votes cast.

Mr. Alitu earlier told the House that education was a crucial component of his vision to develop the human resource capacity of the district if the members gave him their approval.

He said he was to partner Assembly Members to share ideas and fashion out plans to develop the communities to benefit the people. Mr. George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister thanked the members for exercising their democratic rights but expressed regret that the members had not fulfilled the dream of the people who have been yawning for development.

"Are we going to hear the voices of the people out there or are we going to listen to the cry of children and women in the house for development?"

He told the House that there were 138 districts in the country competing for development and urged the members not to hold back the development of the district because of parochial interests.

Madam Winifred Asibi Dy-Yakah, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, who is also acting as the District Chief Executive for the Wa East called on the assembly members to bury their differences and confirm the nominee to facilitate development. "Let us take the growth and welfare of the people into consideration and do the right things", she said. 24 Jan. 08