President not happy about low female representative in his government

Koforidua, July 3, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, on Thursday disclosed that the President was not happy about his inability to achieve his target of appointing 40 percent women in his government, and the fact that the few women he nominated as Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCE's) were rejected by some assemblies.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo disclosed this when the chief of Akyem Akroso, Nana Kwabena Ofori II, paid a courtesy call on him to plead for a Chief Executive for the Birim Central Assembly. He told the chief that the action of rejecting the President's nominees by the assemblies was an insult to the president's intelligence.

According to Mr Ofosu- Ampofo, the President had not come to terms with the rejection of the only female nominee in the region, for the Birim Central assembly.

He stated that the president was mindful of the promises he made to Ghanaians, especially the appointment of 40 percent women to his government and tasked qualified and distinguished men to scrutinize all the applications before the appointments were made and so he least expected the only female for the region to be rejected. The Regional Minister said the conduct of the assembly members did not only amount to an insult to the president but, also portrays a different picture of the people including himself. However, he said, the prerogative of appointment rested with the president and he would therefore communicate their position to him, and advised them to learn from that mistake and accept whoever the president nominates.

Nana Kwabena Ofori told the Minister that the lack of an MCE coupled with the many chieftaincy disputes in the area, was delaying the development of the area.

It would be recalled that the only female nominee, Ms Ophelia Koomson, for the position of the MCE for Birim Central was rejected out right by the assembly and since then the assembly had been left with no Chief Executive.