Northern Regional Minister stops DCE confirmation

The Northern regional minister Salifu Saeed has called off indefinitely a process Saturday night to confirm the District Chief Executive nominee for the West Mamprusi district assembly, Saaka Sayitu.

No reason was given for the decision which was shortly announced after a female adult was successfully elected as presiding officer but sources said it was due to fears the process would have creep into Saturday night.

The decision drew slew of mild protest and confusion from a handful of dissatisfied assembly members and the public who raised voices demanding clarification amidst belligerent rhetoric and open threats.

It has been extremely difficult task and the minister and his team have somewhat been struggling to have smooth processes in the backyard of Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and Local Government and Rural Development minister Hajia Alima Mahama.

The difficulty in the Mamprugu land has been attributed to deep divisions among members of the assemblies and failure of nominees to pay huge sum of monies to facilitate their endorsement or approval. Claims Starr News have no facts yet to corroborate.

On Wednesday, president nominee for Nalerigu-Gambaga, hometown of Hajia Alima, was rejected after missing just a vote to attain the acceptable requirement.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon tension nearly escalated at the Mamprugu Moagduri district when in an “apparent betrayal of trust” members of the assembly heavily voted for a presiding officer believed to be linked to the opposition NDC but attempted to refuse to endorse the DCE nominee, Abu Adam.

Before the process of confirming the DCE, members of the assembly rubberstamped assemblyman for Kpatorigu electoral Musah Adam who stood unopposed as the Presiding Member.

A disagreement, however, sparked after members appeared to have voted against the nominee. Two angry unidentified men then snatched and fled with an envelope containing the ballots when the electoral officer was about declaring the results.

The pandemonium was quickly quelled from spiraling out of control by efforts of the regional minister and the party’s regional Youth Organizer, Alhaji Abdul Rashid COP who pleaded to the crowd for calm.

The nominee was later confirmed garnering a hundred (100%) percent endorsement by the 16-member Assembly after the process was reorganized.

After the end of voting, Abu Adam, a teacher by profession polled 16 out of 16 votes to confirm his nomination as the DCE.

He was sworn into office by the Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed who charged him to work together with members of the assembly to ensure sustainable development in the district.

Other dignitaries and NPP executives who graced the ceremony included the Member of Parliament for Yagaba Kobpri, Abdul Rauf Tanko, Northern Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation, Alhaji Abdulai Hindu, Deputy National Youth Organiser of the NPP, Yussif Mustapha and Ghana’s Ambassador Designate for Guinea Conakry, Hajia Samata.