Biney's Resignation Stirs Controversy

INFORMATION REACHING The Chronicle indicates that the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, may have pushed for the resignation of Mr. Kwesi Biney, the beleaguered District Chief Executive for Ahanta West.

This is evident in a secret meeting the Minister had held with the factional executives of the party last month where he reportedly told the faction loyal to the MP that Mr. Kwesi Biney was an asset to the party and that he was never going to be sacked by the President in spite of the bad blood relationship between him and the MP, which had seen the party divided sharply along their individual lines.

According to Mr. Asamoah Boateng, who is popularly known as Asabee, he would even alert the DCE to resign to avoid disgrace and embarrassment should the President decide this time round to sack him (Biney) from his seat.

Attempts to reach the Minster proved futile.

ThoughMr. Biney had cited in his 'strange' resignation letter that he had arrived at the decision to protect his image as well as the cohesion of the NPP, this paper can report that Mr. Biney saw his imminent dismissal by the President and as such was never in his own interest to resign.

The said meeting held by the Minister backfired with the party foot soldiers loyal to the MP accusing the Minister of supporting the faction close to the DCE.

This paper gathered that Mr. Biney did not communicate his decision to resign to the Assembly let alone his two Coordinators while loyalists close to Mr.Biney were also blaming the Chronicle for the DCE's decision to resign.

According to the loyalists, though it was likely the President was going to kick out the DCE, the number of stories carried by this paper against the DCE was also a contributing factor to the DCE's resignation.

Mr. Mensah and Mr. Omar Justice, Coordinator and Engineer of the Assembly respectively when reached confirmed that they were not aware that the DCE had resigned and that they had heard the story from the media.

The Coordinator, who is tagged as Biney's close pals, refused to answer further questions from this paper, saying, " I don't want to be drawn into the mediaspectacle".

But Mr. Omar told this paper that the Assembly would officially had to hold a meeting to take a final decision on the DCE's resignation.

It would be recalled that Mr. Biney, in his resignation letter dated 8th August to the President, Mr. J. A. Kufuor and copied to the Minister of Presidential Affairs and the Chief of Staff, Local Government Minister and the Western Regional Coordinating Council, said he had arrived at the decision to protect his image as well as the cohesion in the party.

He wrote, "I am with a deep sense of regret to tender my resignation as DCE of Ahanta West from the end of this month".

He continued, "I have arrived at this after careful consideration and analysis of events preceding my second nominations by His Excellency the President, events during and in the course of my confirmation by the Assembly".

According to Mr. Biney, recent happenings within the District had created the impression in the minds of some top Government officials as well as party members to the effect that he was a stumbling block to peace and unity in the party in the Constituency.

Mr. Biney concluded his resignation by thanking the President for giving him the opportunity to serve the people in the District and the nation at large.