Appointment of a 25-year-old as DCE causes a stir at Wiase

Aggrieved youth of Wiase Traditional Area in Kwamedanso District of the Brong Ahafo region are angry with President John Dramani Mahama.

The anger of the youth stems from the fact that the president has nominated a 25-year-old polytechnic graduate, Stephen Boadum, who just finished national service, as the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Kwamedanso District Assembly.

The concern of the youth, Today understands, is premised on the grounds that the newly nominated DCE has no working experience, looking at his age and educational background.

At a press conference in Kwamedanso, Chairman of Wiase Youth, Mr. Misi Fordjour, called on President Mahama to immediately reconsider the nomination of what he described as "under age" to be the DCE of Kwamedanso else they would advise themselves.

According to him, they are of the strong opinion that the newly nominated DCE has just completed polytechnic and finished his national service recently hence did not qualify to head this sensitive position.

President Mahama recently nominated Mr. Boadum to be appointed as the new DCE for Kwamedanso District Assembly.

But in a quick response, the people of Wiase community stated that it was a cheat on their part for government to nominate Mr. Boadum for post of DCE, arguing that the appointment of a new DCE should come from Wiase traditional area and not Dwan traditional area.

In this regard, Mr. Fordjour called on the president to rescind his decision else they would boycott 2016 polls.

He stated that Kwamedanso district consist of two traditional areas—Wiase traditional area and Dwan traditional area.

They said anytime a Member of Parliament (MP) is elected from one traditional area, the DCE should also be appointed from the other side of the traditional area.

But this time around, according to Mr. Fordjour, government has failed by nominating the DCE from the same Dwan Traditional Area where the MP was elected.

Additionally, he stated that the newly appointed DCE and the Presiding Member (PM) of Kwamedanso District Assembly are brothers or from the same family, adding that this can lead to conflict of interest.”

He used the occasion to raise concern about the deplorable state of the road from Atebubu Gradima to Kwamedanso, saying that every year the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government mentioned it in its address that it will work on it.

"The road was given to contract in the year 2010 but nothing has been done. This has made transportation in the area so complicated. The area is a farming community which produces a lot of yam for our market," he asserted.

Against this background, Mr. Fordjour appealed to the government to come and construct the road in the shortest possible time, warning that “we would advise ourselves in the upcoming general election.