DCEs urged to work to change public perception

Tamale, Aug. 4, GNA - Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Northern Regional Minister has urged DCEs to work towards rebuilding the image of their office to erase public misconception and perceptions about them. He said: "The image of the DCEs today is not a credible one because the picture is that DCEs are corrupt, inefficient, dishonest and vindictive".

"The challenge is that you have to work to counteract this poor perception of yourselves and endeavour to disprove everything bad attributed to your position," he said, adding: "There should be no complacency."

Alhaji Boniface was speaking at the swearing-in of 15 out of the 18 District Chief Executives in the Northern Region in Tamale on Thursday. Tamale and Yendi are scheduled to hold their District Assembly elections on August 11 while the government is yet to nominate a District Chief Executive for Savelugu Nanton. Alhaji Boniface who swore the DCEs into office, presented them with their instruments of appointment.

He noted that one of the charges about DCEs was that "they have constituted themselves into 'tin gods', they are unapproachable, arrogant, and money grabbing".

He therefore advised the DCEs to counteract this perception by showing humility and of being of service to the people. He reminded them that, "service is not a favour done to the public, efficient and timely service to the public is your constitutional responsibility."

The Regional Minister told them to be "kind, patient and accommodating to all manner of people who would want to take refuge on your back." He asked them to work in cooperation with Assembly Members and collaborate with other stakeholders to enhance development in the districts.

Alhaji Boniface asked the DCEs not to usurp the powers of the assembly and take arbitrary decisions, adding: "Decisions in the assembly must emanate from or be seen to be taken by the assembly as an institution and not by an individual."