‘Tweaa’ DCE still cruises in official vehicle

It appears the brouhaha surrounding the dismissed Ahafo Ano South District Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Gabriel Barimah, popularly known as the “Tweaa DCE”, is far from being over.

The former DCE is gradually becoming synonymous with controversy, following reports that he has failed to hand over two official vehicles in his possession to the assembly, since leaving office almost two months ago.

Reports available to The Chronicle indicate that Mr. Barimah is still cruising in a Ford Ranger with registration number GF 697-10, and has also parked a Nissan Patrol with registration number GN 1945-11 in his garage, refusing to hand them over to the assembly.

According to information, some assembly members had made several efforts to retrieve the vehicle, which was initially being used by the District Revenue Directorate, but to no avail, leaving staff at the department with no vehicle to carry out their official duties.

The last time the former DCE was spotted with the Ford Ranger vehicle, was last week Sunday, when he drove through the district capital, Mankranso, to attend to personal matters. In the case of the Nissan Patrol, reports indicate that the vehicle broke down when the former DCE gave it to some chiefs in the community to go to the national capital, Accra, to plead on his behalf.

The Assembly Member for Dunyan-Nkwanta Electoral Area, Charles Nicholas, who has launched a crusade to get the former DCE to hand over the Ford pickup, told The Chronicle in an interview that he raised the issue during the assembly’s sitting last week Wednesday, but did not receive any definite answer from the District Coordinating Director, Mr. Yahaya Mohammed.

He said the District Coordinator told him that the issue could not be discussed on the floor of the assembly, and directed him to sort it out with the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Samuel Adusei, who is the acting DCE.

Meanwhile, the former DCE has confirmed that the vehicles are in his possession, but denied that he had refused to them over to the assembly. He stated that the vehicles are parked at his bungalow, and that he had not received any order from the Minister to hand them over.

Mr. Barimah explained that under the laws of the state, he has three months to occupy the official bungalow as a dismissed public official, stressing that until that period had elapsed, no one can begrudge him for using state resources.

“I have three months to stay here and use the state bungalow; the vehicles are parked here, and no one has asked me hand it over; as to when I will hand them to the assembly, maybe you can enquire from the Deputy Minister,” he said. However, efforts to get in touch with Samuel Adusei proved negative, as he failed to answer calls to his mobile phone.