‘Lying NDC chiefs should leave our DCE alone’- Tatale NPP

Angry executives of New Patriotic Party in the Tatale Sanguli constituency have been responding to a fragile relationship that went down a new low this week between the chiefs and DCE in the area, as the chiefs demand yet another apology and threatened to unleash the wrath of their gods on the DCE, Thomas Mboaba, for “peddling falsehood”.

The paramount chief, Obori Gariba Yankosor, and his elders whose “bullying conducts” have angered many residents across the constituency, issued a strongly worded statement Thursday asking for an apology from the DCE over claims they (the chiefs) took huge sums of money from him before agreeing to settle an earlier disagreement.

The chiefs have been embroiled in a growing row with the DCE since he took office in April last year. The chiefs had refused to grace or attend occasions organized by the district assembly or have the DCE in attendance.

They boycotted this year’s nationwide Independence Day celebration as a protest against the DCE who they accused of disrespect, which rose tensions to the highest level for the first time between the two local authorities.

To appease the chiefs, the DCE reported the dispute to the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuyana Abdulai Yakubu Andani, and asked for his intervention. The Regent intervened and supervised a peaceful resolution at his place in Yendi last Monday.

However, tension has renewed to a knife edge, just four days after the ceasefire deal, with the chiefs now strongly rebuking the “failed and failing DCE” and calling for his removal for claiming to his friends that he financially induced them before they agreed to appear at the Gbewaa Place for the settlement.

“Let the accused vindicate himself as the chiefs collectively won’t sit down to allow this insanity from a leader who touts himself as working to keep the government deliver on its mandate and promises. Tatale Sanguli District is not an island and can’t be compromised with any weak leadership”.

“Therefore, we call on government and all other stakeholders to find a more effective, proficient and competent leader to help this new district propel to higher heights. We will advise ourselves if this spree of denting our reputation as chiefs from the District Chief Executive continues.”, the chiefs said in the statement, challenging the DCE to substantiate the allegations or face their wrath.

“This latest flare-up between the chiefs and the DCE has infuriated party executives in the constituency to hit back at the chiefs, calling them disguised members of the opposition NDC and describing all allegations against the DCE as “big lies”.

“We wonder why the chiefs and the elders are doing that. They are asking for 5% of the Common Fund but the DCE said he will ask the Common Fund administrator and get back and that is all why the chiefs are doing that”, the party constituency chairman, Kwasi Mpoah told Kasapa News.

The chairman added: “I want to tell you the gospel fact, the paramount chief today is NDC guy. He is NDC, because whatever we are doing today as NPP he doesn’t support and if we have a meeting and we invite him he would not come and he would not send anybody to represent him but if NDC is having a meeting today and they call the chief you see that the chief would have a representative”.

The chairman also claimed the chiefs were having these problems with the DCE because he has refused to meddle in the chieftaincy dispute among the chiefs. He has asked the chiefs “to leave the DCE alone” and allow him space to implement the president’s ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ transformational agenda.

Mpoah said the party will hold a meeting to discuss and ferret out measures to deal with the growing matter.

“If the DCE is having a problem in the constituency, I am the constituency chairman; I will call my secretary, my organizer, my women organizer, my youth organizer, my deputy secretary, we have to take the issue and report it to the Regional Minister, and we didn’t do it and you the chiefs are taking allegations that you don’t want the DCE, can it be possible?

“We are also organizing ourselves to meet and discuss how best we can do to….we are having a meeting on Sunday to talk about that issue”, the chairman indicated.