Keen contest for Bolgatanga MCE position

Daily Guide has learnt that the New Patriotic Party Executives in the Bolgatanga Municipal have settled on three persons as the final shortlisted applicants for the position of Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive.

The list includes the NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate for the Bolgatanga Central Constituency, Rex Asanga, Joe Amiyure who also contested for the Bolgatanga Central Parliamentary Candidature of the NPP in the last Primaries in June 2015 and Christopher Atanga Agongo a Bursar at the Bolgatanga Senior High School. At the time of filing this report the Regional Executives had decided not to announce the names for reason known to them.

An initial shortlist of 6 persons was forwarded to the Regional Executives who also pruned the number down to the current three, from where the Municipal Chief Executive nominee will be selected by the National Executive.

Daily Guide went to the streets of Bolgatanga to find out who among the three personalities they would prefer as the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly. Two of the shortlisted names stood out, Joe Amiyure and Rex Asanga were consistent and this can largely be attributed to the fact that, the two have in the last two year engaged in NPP’s internal politics.

Rex Asanga lost to the NDC’s Isaac Adongo in the December 7, Parliamentary Election in the Bolgatanga Central Constituency and therefore will not be shocking to hear, that 6 out of every 10 people interviewed by the Daily Guide, mentioned his name.

Mr. Christopher Atanga Agongo is known for his philanthropic gestures, especially towards youth development, but did not seem to be known widely as Rex Asanga and Joe Amiyure, because he has not been so much involved in open politics in the Municipality.

Although majority of the interviewees are rooting for Rex Asanga due to his international connection and contribution towards rural poverty reduction, many of them suspect that he may not be selected, if the National Executives decide to consider inputs from some key persons from the region and the Municipality.

“Under NDC and previous NPP, we heard from party people that, some persons we all know are good and competent, were rejected at the last minute, because some influential party people kick against the National Executives’ choice. They always tell the Executives that this person cannot be controlled and we cannot use him the way we want. If you think am lying go and ask why after all the contributions Mr. Alaskoma made to the NDC and his experience in development, the kept rejecting him.” Benjamin Ayine said.

Meanwhile, the NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate for Talensi Constituency for the December 7 Parliamentary Election, Thomas Duanab aka Home Boy was has been cut off from the list. Now the Talensi DCE shortlist includes, Dr Edward Nabil, Nicholas Atogra and Christopher Boatibil.

In all a total of 122 persons filed for the position of the Chief Executives across the three Municipalities and 10 districts in the Upper East Region and three each have been forwarded to the National level for consideration, bringing the number to 39 persons for consideration.