Komenda District Chief Executive's position solid

Accra, (Great Accra) 16 Oct. '98 The government has confirmed its continued confidence in the District Chief Executive for Komenda-Edina- Eguafo- Abirem (KEEA), Mr Thomas Austen Ankomah. Government said it has no intention of removing him from office as demanded by a faction of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the KEEA constituency.

This was contained in an official statement issued in Accra on October 16, and signed by Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.

The government's decision is in response to the demand of the NDC faction which went on a demonstration last week asking for the removal of Mr Ankomah. The faction gave President Jerry Rawlings a two-week ultimatum to comply with its demand else it would advise itself. "In coming to this decision, the government wishes to explain that Mr Ankomah was approved by the non-partisan District Assembly only about a month ago and it is untenable for a faction of only one political party to demand his removal within so short a time.

"Furthermore, it must be explained that a District Chief Executive exists for the whole district and, indeed, for the country and not for a faction or sub-faction within one political party."

The statement said the government has been aware of the factional squabbles within the NDC constituency executive for some time and the intransigent and inflexible positions taken by the factions.

The statement said attempts made at the highest levels of government to resolve them have not achieved the desired results. "While it is true that there has been a number of occasions when government has responded positively to calls from the people for the removal of District Chief Executives in appropriate circumstances, it will be parochial and, indeed, counter-productive if the government should heed agitation to remove District Chief Executives based purely on intra-party disagreements and factional interests."

The statement pointed out that the Constitution provides a procedure for the removal of a District Chief Executive and the NDC as a party has a machinery and a channel of communication to redress grievances. "The two must not be confused. The government calls on all loyal NDC members to exercise restraint and show discipline in their bid to seek redress for perceived grievances and avail themselves of the grievance resolution channels which form a vital component of the party structure." GRi