Regional News of Wednesday, 20 May 2015

Source: Today Newspaper

Minister warns MMDCEs

Central regional Minister, Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, has warned Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to desist from transferring their subordinates and technocrats in their respective assemblies because of their political affiliations.

He said the first thing some MMDCEs do upon their appointment is to seek for the transfer of staff who do not belong to the same party with him for the fear of being sabotaged.

According to the minister, the development creates tension, and thus charged them to work with anybody so far as the person carries out his or her duties diligently.

Mr. Quansah gave the warning whilst addressing heads of department and staff of the Gomoa West District Assembly as part of his familiarisation tour of the Central region last Monday.

He also charged MMDCEs to bear in mind that they are working for the nation and not along political lines.

That, he said, was to ensure the smooth implementation of policies and projects for the development of the region.

He indicated that the region has a lot of potential to enable it move from the poverty ladder, adding that situations like that tend to slow down the pace of development in the region.

Mr. Quansah, who is also the Dean of all Regional Ministers in the country, pointed out that MMDCEs must bring their subordinates and technocrats to know that as politicians they work within a time frame.

He observed that some of the subordinates and technocrats also sometimes deliberately give MMDCEs and politicians wrong or inaccurate information because they want to make their party unpopular, citing the Victoria Hammah incident as an example.

He, therefore, advised them to be professional and support the MMDCEs to help rescue the region from the poverty ladder.

He commended the Gomoa West District Assembly for being one of the best performing districts in the region for the past five years and encouraged other districts to emulate them.

District Chief Executive (DCE) of the area, Mr. Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, stated that there are 76 communities in the district, adding that the area has been relatively peaceful except for occasional accidents on the Accra-Cape Coast highway.

Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr. Francis Arthur, disclosed that soon the district will have a divisional police command and polyclinic to be sited at Gomoa Daworampong.

The regional minister who was accompanied by the Director of the Central Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Kwame Oppong, later paid a courtesy call on the Omanhen of Gomoa Ajumako, Obrempong Nyanful Krampah XI.

He used the occasion to commission a clinic at Gomoa Brofo.

The minister and his team also paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area, Obrifo Ahunako Ahor Ankobea, who implored Ghanaians to have patience with President Mahama and pray for him as he finds a lasting solution to the current power crisis in the country.