TENSION MOUNT IN KWAHU ABETIFI OVER APPOINTMENT OF DCE

The appointment of District Chief Executives [DCEs] has created tensions in most of the districts in the country and latest to join is the youth of Abetifi Constituency in the Kwahu East District in the Eastern Region. According to the youth, they want William Owusu as the DCE, who is a resident of Abetifi, the District Capital. This was contained in a petition presented to H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akuff-Addo, the president of the Republic of Ghana.

Speaking on Radio 1 Breakfast Show ‘Susubiribi’, Hon. Kwame Owiredu, the Constituency Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party [NPP] told the host Captain Kofi Owusu that he is in total support of the youth.

Hon. Wiredu said although the other members who are in the race are equally good, they prefer someone from the district capital, Abetifi and that is William Owusu.

Commenting on the contribution of Mr. Owusu to the NPP, the constituency secretary said “the man has really work hard for the electoral success of the party in the Kwahu East district, and therefore deserves to be appointed as the DCE”. He further appealed to the President to consider the petition put forward by the youth.

The youth made the call in the wake of a number of appointments that has been made by the president from the other towns within the district including Madam Afia Akoto Deputy Executive Secretary for MASLOC, who hails from Kwahu Nkwatia as well as Mr. Jeff Kunadu, CEO of National Information Technology Agency (NITA) who hails from Kwahu Bokuruwa, Gifty Oware, Deputy Executive Director (Finance and Administration) for National Service Scheme also from Kwahu Pepease and Hon. Bryan Acheampong, Minister of State from Kwahu Pepease but none from the district capital.

“Hon William Owusu currently serves as the District Agricultural Officer in charge of Animal Health and Production and has a very good relationship with the farmers who form about 70% of the population in the District”, the release said. “He is one of the hard working executives in the party and due to his competence he was assigned the following roles in both the 2012 and 2016 elections: Director of operations, Directors of Programs, Director of security, Director of training” the statement added.

Hon. Owusu holds MPhil Agribusiness (Legon), Post Graduate Certificate in Agribusiness Management (GIMPA), Bsc. Agribusiness (Presbyterian Univ. College, Ghana – PUCH), Bsc Business Administration (Accounting and Finance option) (PUCG), Certificate in Animal Health and Production.

For a government to succeed in the practice of decentralization in Ghana, there is the need to ensure a vibrant district assembly concept. It is therefore important that qualified and competent people are appointed to man the various assemblies to carry out developmental programmes of the central government to the people at the grass root level.

Story by Agyapong Michael/Radio1ghana