President Mahama petitioned on Mpohor DCE nomination

A section of the youth in the Mpohor District of the Western Region, has petitioned President John Mahama not to renew the term of office of the current District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area.

According to the youth wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the district, the DCE, Mr Anthony Bassaw “lacks initiative and leadership” and “he is not serving the interest of the President and the people”.

They have thus urged the President not to re-nominate Mr Bassaw but to name a new nominee for the post because “his continued stay in office threatened the fortunes of the party in future electoral contest.

In a petition channeled through the Local Government Ministry to the Presidency, the youth group accused Mr Bassaw of poor human relations, and for not supporting the activities of the party in the district.

The petition also faulted the DCE for cronyism and for failing to foster cohesion in the party in the district that may leave members vulnerable to manoeuvres of opposition parties.

They held that his performance over the past four years had not inured to the benefit of the district and the party and that his “lack of vision” to develop the constituency put government in a negative light.

Later in a telephone interview with the GNA, Mr Sampson Fiati, Spokesperson of the youth group said, “a careful assessment of the DCEs performance would spell doom for the party in the next election”.

“We think somebody who represents the President needs to meet the people in their local communities and find ways to solve the problems in the district…But he does not go to the people to find out their problems”.

“He is by his actions weakening the foundation of the party in the district and this is not good”.

Mr Bassaw, however, in an interview with the GNA denied all the allegations, saying “these are my detractors at work”.

“Someone who is seeking my position is putting up the youth against me. I am not in the bad books of the regional executives of the party, the traditional authorities, party members and the people in the district”.

“Their allegations are unfounded. I am the only person funding the activities of the party in the district. And I don’t see what their problems are”.

“In any case, the DCE position is the most challenging jobs because everyone looks up to you for one thing or the other and you can’t satisfy everyone and some use this as a basis to malign you.

“They think that by sending such issues to the presidency would force the President’s hand. Let me tell them that the President has his mechanisms to ascertain the truth or otherwise of such allegations.

“In fact, as we speak I have been re-nominated for the next four years. I have gotten my re-nomination letter and it took effect from April this year.

Mr Bassaw said he was awarded the best performing DCE in the Western Region because of his leadership credentials and focus and that the petition of the youth was in bad faith.

Mr Bassaw was originally appointed the DCE for the Mpohor Wassa East district in 2009 but when the district was divided into two in 2012, he was appointed the political head for the Mpohor District.

Source: GNA