Banda Ahenkro (Brong Ahafo) -- The Wenchi District Chief Executive, Mr Joe Dankwa, has been accused of discriminating against the people of Banda Ahenkro because they voted against the NPP in the last elections.
He is alleged to have refused to hand over a cashew processing machine to the Banda Ahenkro Cashew Processing Society even though, the assembly procured it in the group’s name. He is said to be hiding the equipment at his hometown, Sabie.
A statement, signed by five executives of the society, including its chairman, nana Sue Takie Tanoh, Apamhene of Banda Traditional Area and the assemblyman, Mr Gabriel Nkrumah; urged the government to impress it on the DCE to release the machine to avoid any unpleasant situation.
It explained that the society applied for two machines to commence the processing of cashew-nuts for export.
Consequently, the District Rural Infrastructure Fund (DRIF) Committee of the Wenchi District Assembly, met to evaluate the application after which it recommended them to the ITTU, Sunyani for the manufacturing of the machines.
The equipment, the statement stressed, had arrived for over a year, and the society had even written an acceptance letter after inspecting it.
But ever since the arrival of the machines, the society had made several appeals to the DCE to release them but he had turned deaf ear to all their pleas. Further investigations conducted into the matter revealed that, the DCE had personally taken custody for the machines.
The society argued that following alleged public accusations by the DCE that, the people of Banda Ahenkro did not vote for the NPP, they believed that, his action was a calculated and malicious attempt to deprive them of their legitimate asset.
The statement reiterated its call on the government to ensure that, the DCE releases the machine or “We will advise ourselves.” At a news conference, the DCE confirmed the society’s applications for the procurement of the machines but disagreed that the members inspected it and wrote an acceptance letter on it.
He denied that he had personally taken custody of the machine. He said three machines were acquired and distributed, with one going to the society at Nsawkaw and the remaining two, to the society at Banda Sabie.
The criteria for qualification, according to him, included the ability to repay the cost of the machine acquired through a loan facility from the Assembly, as well as the availability of raw materials in the community.
It said it was realized that due to a protracted chieftaincy dispute in the area, there could be no security for the machines apart from the fact that there was not enough raw material in the area except in Bongasi Sabie Ahengroso.
The DCE pointed out that, documents were being processed for the procurement of many of the machines for the communities and it was left to them to prove that, they could pay the loan which was very paramount to the Assembly.
