Brouhaha over selection of Hohoe MCE

…VR Minister, Woyome, accused of cronnyism

By The Lead reporter

There is a silent inferno brewing concerning the ultimate nomination President Mills would be making for the vacant Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) position of the Hohoe municipality.

Party stalwarts in the Hohoe North constituency are vehement in their demand that the appointment be made from their constituency, since all other appointments in the Municipality and even some regional appointments were made from the Hohoe South constituency leaving the North with nothing.

Hohoe Municipal area comprises two constituencies, -North and South, with Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the south, while Jacob Hayibor is MP for the North.

Currently, the Municipal coordinator for the National Youth Employment Programme(NYEP) Moses Kumah,the coordinator for the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO)Gabriel Kofi, the Presiding Member, Edith Akpoto, who doubles as the Regional Coordinator for the School Feeding Programme , as well as the coordinator for the Non Formal Education Division (NFED), one Agbeke are all from the Hohoe South constituency.

“In fact Agbeke is the secretary for the Hohoe South constituency,” an official of the constituency disclosed, adding that the party in Hohoe North feels slighted by rumours that the president was going to name the presiding member, Edith Akpoto as the new MCE.

Another highly placed source told this paper that it would be unfair for anyone from Hohoe South to get the MCE position because, “when we were fighting for the removal of the former MCE, Victor Herman Kondobre, they were against it.”

Moreover, the presiding member whom our castle sources revealed was likely to be named by President Mills, the source alleged, was there when Mr. Kondobre was carrying out the alleged “fictitious deals” but could not do anything about it.

“So if such a person becomes appointed as the substantive MCE, she can’t bring the desired change the municipality needs,” he maintained.

According to the chairman, the Regional Minister, who is from Hohoe South and one Alfred Agbesi Woyome, who does not hail from the municipal area at all were those pushing for Madam Akpoto to become the MCE.

“Woyome and Amenorwode are trying to impose Akpoto on us, but the president must understand that Akpoto will not only collapse the assembly, but will also cause great disaffection for the party in the constituency,” the source declared.

When contacted, Alfred Agbesi Woyome told this paper he was a member of the regional executive committee of the NDC, and a member of the NDC government.

However, pushed to disclose the positions he occupied in the regional executive committee and the government, he responded, “go and find out.”

“I am Consul Woyome. Go ahead and write what you want. Am I the appointing figure in Ghana? If you write anything that is libelous, you will sell your house,” Mr. Woyome threatened.

“Nobody there in Hohoe will decide what the presidency will do. The presidency does not consult journalists when making appointments,” he added.

Asked whether he was pushing for Madam Akpoto to be made the MCE, he responded he did not even know the woman in question.

“Even if I were, is that meddling? Tell the person who old you this to go and sleep,” Woyome urged.

Meanwhile, attempts to reach the regional minister, Joseph Amenorwode proved futile as his two phone numbers were out of reach at the time of going to press.

Source: The Lead