Wa East district Assembly fails to elect PM

The Wa East District Assembly in the Upper West Region on Tuesday failed to elect a Presiding Member (PM) to help run the affairs of the Assembly.

The election, which was held during the first ordinary meeting of the assembly in Funsi had two contestants.

Mr. Jatoe Osman assemblyman for Katua electoral and Mr. Amadu Abraham Mahama assemblyman for Sagu –Bintege Electoral area vied for the position for which 36 assemblymen and women were expected to cast their votes.

But after the voting, none of the two candidates obtained the two-thirds of votes needed to be declared winner.

Mr. Philip Adzomadi, the District Electoral Officer said for a candidate to become the new Presiding member, he or she needs to obtain 25 votes.

The first round of the election could not produce a winner as Mr. Osman polled 18 votes whilst his opponent, Mr. Mahama had 17 votes.

After a long deliberation and consultations, a second election took place but both candidate could not get the desired votes needed to become the PM, with Mr. Osman polling16 votes and Mahama 19 votes.

Dr. Ephraim Avea Nsoh, the Upper West Regional Minister and the acting District Chief Executive for the Wa East district assembly urged the assembly members to unite and elect a PM, to enable the district, which is one of the poorest in the region, to develop.

Dr Nsoh had earlier inspected the Funsi Senior High School, which would be opened soon, the Funsi Health Centre and new bungalows for workers in the district.

He expressed his satisfaction with the level of infrastructural development going on in the district, describing it as phenomenal, as most of the projects were executed within four years.

The Funsi Senior High School administration block under construction is about 85 per cent completed, and a KVIP, six semi-detached teachers bungalow had been completed, whilst a dining hall was about 45 per cent complete.

Source: GNA