Ever since President Mahama was sworn in office in January 2013, the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region has been left with no District Chief Executive. The reality is that in January 2014, an appointment was made of one Mr. Moses Bavia but the Assembly Members in pursuance of their conscience and democratic rights rejected him. This seems not to have gone down well with the President and the NDC hierarchy.
This unfortunate situation has slowed down socio-economic development in the district and has equally placed the district in a bad light in the country. Rumuors have it that the Deputy Regional Minister is acting as our substantive DCE. This may/may not be true but it actually points to the fact that the district is not well organized and as such at the brisk of collapse.
Although our brothers in the Sissala West District have not had their DCE re-appointed after the 2012 elections and confirmed by the Assembly members, one can confidently say they are still better than us because at least, the former DCE is still at post and working. The arguments about his legality can continue for long but at least they are still better than us because at least they have a DCE to steer and manage their district.
Thinking critically about this unfortunate situation raises so many questions in my mind. I often ask myself is the Sissala East District faced with the following possibilities:
1. That there is no qualified person in the whole district apart from the special Moses Bavia?
2. That appointing any other person would spell a doom for the district?
3. That the district has been ungrateful to the president and the NDC and thus deserves such cruel punishment?
4. That the NDC doesn’t care about the plight of this district in the national governance?
These and many more are the questions that I find difficult to understand since all districts with the exception of my district and that of Honourable “Tweeeeaaa” are left. I do however hope the president and the NDC in both the district and Accra will sit up and heed to our cry and give us our DCE! If other districts have the opportunity to vote more than once, some as many as five times before accepting or rejecting their DCE’s, then we deserve better………..I shall be back In sha Allah!
Written by: Fuseini Abdul-Fatawu
0208377488
