I�m Still In-Charge...

The deposed District Chief Executive (DCE) for Banda in the Brong-Ahafo region, Alex Bonsu, has stated that he is still in charge of the district, despite a recent announcement that the president had sacked him from office. Mr. Bonsu was said to have been dismissed by President John Mahama last week after the youth of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the constituency nearly lynched him a fortnight ago. The beleaguered DCE who narrowly escaped death when some NDC youth in the area ambushed and subjected him to severe beatings, has been accused by the youth and the MP for the area, Ahmed Ibrahim, of being corrupt. However, speaking to Sunyani-based Suncity Radio on Wednesday, Mr. Bonsu maintained that as far as he was concerned he had not been dismissed, because he had not received any letter from the presidency indicating his dismissal from office. According to him, he came to office with an appointment letter, and in the same vein if the President did not require his services, he would be given a dismissal letter. When asked by the host, Nana Kas, whether he goes to the office or not, Mr. Bonsu said the party youth vandalised the entire office, including his vehicle, so all the assembly workers including himself, had been advised to stay away from the office for now to avoid future attacks. He accused the MP, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, of inciting the youth of Banda Ahenkro against him. According to him, the MP and the youth are accusing him of squandering GH�33 billion of the assembly�s funds. Mr. Bonsu stated that the allegations were untrue, and that they were intended to get him out of office since the MP fears that he (the DCE) would contest his seat in the next elections. He disclosed that he had been exonerated of all the allegations levelled against him in an audit report. He also alleged that the youth of Banda Ahenkro, the district capital, were up in arms against him because they wanted a native of the town to be made the DCE. The deposed DCE alleged that the party�s youth attempted killing him during the said attack. He disclosed that he was only saved because he had an undisclosed large sum of money on him at time of the attack. He said the irate youth grabbed the cash, and during the sharing confusion broke out among them. He then managed to sneak away to the roadside and boarded a passenger vehicle to Nsawkaw. The matter, he said, is currently being investigated by the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Command.