The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kwesi Adjei Boateng, is bracing himself up for a showdown with some NPP Eastern Regional polling station chairmen over what looks like an unusual grievance.
Whereas some other DCEs are being accused of awarding contracts to their Party cronies, Mr Boateng stands accused by his fellow Party members for awarding contracts to members of the opposition NDC ?at the expense of NPP faithful in the municipality.?
Seventy-eight of the New Juaben Constituency polling station chairmen who spoke to The Heritage expressed their disappointment in the MCE, charging ?after toiling over the years to ensure victory for the (NPP) party in the 2000 elections, Mr Boateng is neglecting the party followers and awarding contracts to NDC faithful?.
One member, Roja Nti, could not understand why the MCE? could mete out such treatment on those who have nurtured the party this stage.?
Some of them said they have now become the laughing stock of the town as NDC supporters taunt them for ?toiling in vain?. Two of them, George Appiah Asiedu and Paul Amoh told this reporter that their wives have divorced them because of the failure of the party to provide them with jobs. Other alleged that they now sneak out to attend party meetings since their spouses would not allow them to attend such ?fruitless meetings.?
Looking very angry, the chairmen (and women) have therefore threatened to demonstrate against the MCE if he declares his intention to seek another term of office when his tenure ends in August this year.
They argued that when the NDC were in power, they (NDC) awarded contracts to the ruling Party?s members and today, the same policy is being implemented in so many other districts throughout the country. The polling station chairmen then posed the question ?Why not Koforidua?? They recalled that early this year a meeting was held between the polling station chairmen and the MCE where they (chairmen) petitioned Mr Boateng to offer them jobs.
According to them, they asked for ?a token of ?10,000? from the MCE after the meeting but Mr Boateng allegedly told them that his office was not a bank. The chairmen also accused the MCE of awarding contracts to his brother-in-law who was named as George Oteng.
In spite of the numerous allegations levelled against Mr Boateng, however, the chairmen agreed that there has been tremendous improvement in terms of development in the municipality since Mr Boateng took over as the MCE.
