Deputy trade minister’s coup at Akuapem North municipality blocked

There is anger at the Akuapem North Municipality of Eastern Region, over the attempt to remove the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Barima Awuah Sarpong Aseidu-Larbi, through the machinations of the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei.

The deputy minister, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akuapem North Constituency, almost succeeded last week in having the MCE sacked from office for refusing to do her bidding until some powerful people stopped her incursions.

The ministry had written to the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region, querying it over the stoppage of the Common Fund, which according to a petition by some assemblymen, is not being utilized in the Akuapem North Constituency, but diverted to Okaikwei North Constituency in Accra, to elicit votes.

The sacking of Mr Aseidu-Larbi was to be done with the help of the Minister of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development, Martin Adjei Korsah, who had wanted to disguise the dismissal with an offer to MCE to voluntarily resign or be humiliated by way of a dismissal.

The Herald is informed that it took the interventions of some powerful personalities to prevent Mr Adjei Korsah from sacking Mr Aseidu-Larbi.

He would have been on the same list as Edward Owusu, the Municipal Chief Executive for the Atebubu-Amantin Municipal Assembly in the Bono East Region and Millicent Kabuki Carboo, the District Chief Executive for the Biakoye District Assembly in the Oti Region, who were sacked, but claimed by the ministry as having resigned.

Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to the Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and a former MCE for Akuapem North Assembly, Samuel Awuku of the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2024 parliamentary candidate, as well as the NPP Constituency Chairman, one Omane Mensah-Bonsu, were amongst those who stepped in.

This was after the assemblymen, had threatened a protest against the government, if the MCE who was acting on their orders not to release the money to Dokua, was kicked out.

They had spoken about the poor condition of roads and other social amenities in the Akuapem North Constituency compared to the Okere and Akuapem South, arguing that Dokua, had been a disappointment.

They also cited a supposed renovation of a health facility in the constituency, with previous disbursements and insisted that the money might have been wasted as the facility looks dilapidated, has a deplorable environment and with a roof badly leaking.

The Assemblymen numbering over 40, had petitioned the Local Government Minister, accusing Dokua, their MP of diverting her share of the Fund to finance her campaign at Okaikoi North. She had left them deprived and hardly visited the constituency.

They, therefore, placed an embargo on subsequent disbursements, saying previous releases had not been used in the constituency, leaving them disadvantaged. However, reports are that the minister, felt disrespected by the MCE’s refusal to release the money, having asked him to do so, despite the protests from the assemblymen.

The minister was going to announce the sacking of the MCE in the statement that announced the alleged resignation of two District Chief Executives (DCEs) without showing their resignation letters.

A statement issued on October 10, 2024, noted that the resignation is by Section 20(3)(c) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936). However, the reasons for the resignations of Edward Owusu, and Millicent Kabuki Carboo, were not disclosed.

In the wake of their resignations, the Ministry has directed the respective Regional Ministers to assume the role of acting District Chief Executives for the two assemblies until the President appoints substantive replacements.

The Herald had reported on the Local Government Ministry’s anger against the over 40 members of the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly, who petitioned the minister over Dokua’s misapplication of the MP’s Common Fund.

The ministry had hastily written to the Assembly, querying it over the stoppage of the Common Fund.

The query sent to the Municipal Assembly through the MCE, The Herald was informed led to tension and anger among the assembly members, who feel that the Local Government Minister, is encouraging the outgoing MP’s lawlessness by having her go hunting for the Okaikwei North Constituency seat with the assembly’s money.

The Herald’s information is that Dokua and Martin, are neighbours at Tse Addo – Accra with only a wall separating them.

The two, appear to understand each other well, but the assemblymen, who in their petition, dated August 28, 2024, said the MP withdraws funds from the Common Fund without a clear goal to benefit her constituents, are not aligned with the two.

They could not fathom why Martin, would be using his share of the MPs Common Fund on his Techiman South Constituency in the Bono East Region, but be encouraging the diversion of that Akuapem North Constituency.

They had said that the withdrawals made by Dokua, have been used to purchase rice, oil, sewing machines, and hairdryers, without any known beneficiaries in the Akuapem North Constituency. They suspect that the statutory payments made to Dokua were being diverted to elicit votes at Okaikwei North Constituency.

“It was rudely discovered that all the hefty funds received were used on frivolous and vexatious expenses without a single beneficiary in the Akuapem North Municipality,” they indicated, highlighting that the MP should not be allowed to make further withdrawals from the Common Fund.

“This is gravely unacceptable as the MPs Common Fund is not a personal fund that the Honorable Member of Parliament can spend anyhow without recourse to the municipality and or the Assembly”, the Assembly members reiterated.

The Assembly members threatened to trigger legal procedures if their calls were not heeded.

“We say enough is enough, and we are by this petition bringing to your attention that upon failure to withhold further spending from the Common Fund, we will trigger the necessary legal procedures and protect the public purse, bringing your high office into opprobrium as an accomplice to the abuse and mismanagement of public funds,” they warned.