The attitude of some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Volta Region is likely to affect the fortunes of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), as supporters and sympathisers have started showing signs of apathy towards the party.
The Chronicle can state that the arrogance, pride and gross disrespect of these MMDCEs towards traditional rulers, as well as residents in the region, have either discouraged people from continuing to support the party, or created a bad image for the government.
Even though the party has the largest following in the region, considered as its ‘World Bank’, it is fast losing these numbers to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), due to the attitude of these MMDCEs.
One of the MMDCEs, who is dragging the image of the party in the mud, is Samuel Wuadi, Akatsi South District Chief Executive, whose style of administration over the last seven years could negatively affect the NDC in the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Mr. Wuadi, over the last seven years, has refused to grant a permit to a private transport organisation, Progressive Transport Owners Association of Ghana (PROTOA), to operate at the district capital, Akatsi.
He is alleged to have told irate youth in the district that he (DCE) would never allow PROTOA to operate in Akatsi, because all the youth who are members of the Association, are all members of the NPP, and that his decision is strongly being supported by top government officials in Accra, so he is not afraid of anybody.
Consequently, tension is mounting in the district, which compelled this reporter to contact the Volta Regional Minister, Helen Adwoa Ntoso, who, through hard work and determination to succeed, has helped to address all the disputes in the region, including the Nkonya-Alavanyo land dispute among others to intervene.
Madam Adwoa Ntoso ordered the Akatsi South DCE to allow PROTOA to operate in Akatsi, but he refused to act on her instructions, because of his ‘so-called’ top NDC men in Accra who are supporting him.
The arrogance and pride of Mr. Wuadi became more visible, when the Chief of Akatsi, Togbui Letsa Korba, appealed to the assembly to issue a permit to PROTOA, like they did for the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), because members of both transport organisations are Ghanaians, but again, the DCE refused.
“I am the Chief of Akatsi, and my interest is to see all persons willing to work at Akatsi do so without difficulty. All the people working in Corporative Transport Union and GPRTU are all my children, and I do not know which of them belongs to party A, B, C or D, but all that I want is to ensure that they are all working, particularly, at a time the issue of employment is becoming very difficult for government. Therefore, I did not see the interest of the assembly preventing a private company from working at Akatsi,” he explained.
The Chronicle can state with authority that political tension in Akatsi South is very high, as known NDC members of PROTOA and former executives of the party are allegedly being branded as NPP members by the DCE.
The situation has gone from bad to worse, as plans are far advanced by angry youth in the area to stage a demonstration against the assembly and vote the NDC out of power, if the government did not intervene to bring the DCE to order.
Further information points to the fact that the Akatsi South DCE could also be cited for conflict of interest, since he is a former Secretary of the Akatsi branch of the GPRTU before his appointment as DCE, hence his refusal to allow PROTOA, which is already operating in almost all the districts in the Volta Region.
PROTOA, on three occasions, has been adjudged the Volta Regional best transport organisation.
When contacted, the DCE, whether as a result of total ignorance or arrogance, said as part of the local government rules and regulations, the assembly has the responsibility to accept or deny private organisations from working in the district, therefore, when PROTOA applied for a working permit, he called for an assembly meeting, where majority of the members voted against the association operating in the area.
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