DCE aspirants urged to bury differences

Gomoa Abonko, May 7, GNA - The Mankrado of Gomoa Abonko, Nana Kofi Biney, has appealed to people who contested District Chief Executive positions and lost to put the disappointment behind them and assist those have been given the appointment. "After all, it is the development of your districts that you were fighting to champion, therefore you need not deny the people whatever plans that you have for the improvement of their standard of living." Nana Biney said this when he met 10 aspirants for the position from Gomoa West at Abonko.

The reconciliation meeting was organized by Mr. Francis Arthur, MP for the area, and Nana Kwame Arhin, the NDC constituency chairman, to iron out any grievances that they might have. Mr. Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, the DCE-elect, assured the contestants that he would involve them in his administration.

"I see my appointment as a challenge not for me alone but for all supporters of NDC in making life better for Ghanaians," he said. Mr. Kow Anyanful, a former Gomoa District Chief Executive, told members of the party that the "Better Ghana" President John Atta Mills promised the people enjoined each and everyone to work hard, be truthful and to desist from acts that could undermine the economy. Nana Arhin called for unity within the party and cautioned against the behaviours which could drive away people from the party. The aspirants pledged to cooperate with the DCE-elect and the MP to do their best to improve the living conditions of the people. Mr. Arthur appealed to Ghanaians to exercise patience for the government to put things in order. "The government is aware that times are difficult due to the global economic crunch and it is working hard to find an antidote," he said.

Agona West Municipal Assembly approves President's nominee Agona Swedru, (C/R) May 7 GNA- Mr Felix Jacob Obeng-Forson, a Retired Public Servant, was on Wednesday confirmed as the Municipal Chief Executive by the Agona West Assembly, at Agona Swedru. All the 39 members of the assembly voted in his favour to approve him. The election was conducted by the Central Regional Deputy Director of the Electoral Commission and officials of the Agona West Municipal office of the Commission.

Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Central Regional Minister, addressing the Assembly later, expressed gratitude to the assembly members for their mutual understanding and unity, which inspired the massive voting for the President's nominee. She urged Mr Obeng-Forson to make sure that the existing unity at the assembly was maintained and also to endeavour to strengthen the party in order to fulfil the promises of President John Evans Atta Mills. Mrs Benyiwa-Doe cautioned revenue collectors in the District and Municipal Assemblies in the region who were said to be pocketing the money to desist from such acts.

She said this bad practice of some of the collectors thwarted the efforts of the assemblies. Mr Obeng-Forson thanked the assembly members for the confidence reposed in him by massively voting to confirm him and pledged to work hard to improve their welfare. He called on the chiefs and opinion leaders in the Municipality to assist him to ensure the rapid development of area, adding that, "I will have an open door administration to promote the development of the municipality." In another development, the Agona East District, however, failed to approve, Mr John O. Arkoh, an Educationist, as the chief executive for the area. He polled 17 out of the 28 of the total votes cast, representing 60 percent instead of the 66 votes required to for his confirmation. According to the officials of EC, since the nominee obtained more than half of the votes another date would be fixed within 10 days to for a second election. Mr Arkoh, speaking to the press later, expressed his disappointment at the situation but said all was not lost and expressed the hope that members of the assembly would vote massively for him in the next one. 07 May 09