Atebubu (B/A), Feb 15, GNA - Tertiary students in the Atebubu/Amantin District have spoken against the re-nomination of Mr Cassius Osei-Poku as the District Chief Executive, alleging he was the cause of the party's loss in the constituency in the last general election.

A statement by the district branch of the Tertiary Education Students Confederacy of the NPP and signed by representatives of five universities alleged that the DCE's "poor performance and inefficiencies" made the party to lose both the presidential and parliamentary elections in the constituency.

Mr Thomas Ampomah of University of Cape Coast, Mr Nicholas Dabie of University of Ghana, Mr Alhassan Iddrisu Gibrilla of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ms Georgina Boahemaa of University of Development Studies in Tamale and Mr. Daniel Akwasi Amoako of the University of Winneba signed the statement.

The statement recalled that the nomination of the DCE in 2001 was received with mass protests and violent demonstrations in the district "as the people were doubtful about the ability of the nominee". It said the DCE proved them right "when he failed to implement the innovations and the positive changes introduced by the NPP government during his four-year term".

The statement said the DCE also lost touch with the people as he never honoured invitations to functions or party meetings "and that probably explained why his own people at Amantin voted against the NPP".

''The re-nomination of Mr Osei-Poku as DCE will be a threat to the growth of the party in the district. He created divisions in the party in the constituency.''

The statement alleged that the DCE sponsored a favourite to contest the NPP primaries but his choice lost to Mr Mumuni Ibrahim Mohammed.

It alleged that the NPP also lost as a result of the inefficiency on the part of the five-member polling station committees who failed to embark on house-to-house campaign strategy initiated by the party.