Kenyasi North DCE receives endorsement
The re-nominated District Chief Executive (DCE) for Kenyasi North in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Eric Addae, received an overwhelming endorsement from members of the assembly at a special meeting held at Kenyasi, the district capital, on Friday to confirm him.
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He polled 32 votes out of the 36 total votes cast, representing 88.8 per cent, to confirm him as the DCE at the election, supervised by officials of the District Directorate of the Electoral Commission (EC) led by Mr Batong Braimah Samson, the District Director, amid heavily armed police presence .
Some assembly members present expressed concern about the heavy police presence, saying they were not at war so they did not understand the need for so many armed policemen at the venue.
Before Mr Addae's name was mentioned, some youth of Kenyasi embarked on a protest march to kick against his re-nomination by the President while some executive members of the constituency, led by the Chairman, Mr Charles Addai, were not in favour of his re-appointment either.
However, his confirmation went on smoothly and he was declared victorious at the end of the polls and his supporters present at the venue carried him shoulder high amid jubilation which spread throughout the town with some commercial drivers touting their horns to signify his victory.
Before voting took place, representatives of some paramount and divisional chiefs of Kenyasi No. 1, Kenyasi No. 2, and Ntotroso, as well as the Presiding Member of the assembly, Nana Owusu Acheaw, appealed to the assembly members and all whom the DCE had offended to forgive him and confirm him for the sake of the peace and development of the district.
According to some of the invited guests who spoke to this reporter, the plea by the chiefs on behalf of the DCE might have worked to his advantage, hence his subsequent confirmation.
The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Justice Samuel Adjei, commended the assembly members for their sense of maturity and for their overwhelming endorsement of the President’s nominee to pave the way for him to continue his second term.
He urged the DCE to co-operate and work closely with all stakeholders, especially the chiefs and the assembly members, to move the district forward.
Mr Adjei also urged assembly members to educate the people in their respective electoral areas on the need to maintain the peace and stability the nation was enjoying after the ruling of the Supreme Court in the election petition.
He advised the youth to use dialogue and laid-down procedures to get their grievances resolved rather than to embark on violent demonstration.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Addae thanked the assembly members for the confidence reposed in him and stated that his re-election was a call to duty. He therefore appealed to all the assembly members and other stakeholders to work hard to advance the development agenda of the district to the benefit of the people.
Mr Addae pledged that his administration would continue to provide infrastructure, intoduce programmes to reduce poverty, provide potable water and complete all development projects he began during his first term.
By Samuel Duodu/Daily Graphic/Ghana