<<Print>>

THE rift between the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahanta West, Hon. George Kwame Aboagye and his District Chief Executive, Joseph Dofoyena has now gone beyond reconciliation, with the former writing to President Mahama that he could no more work with the DCE. George Kwame Aboagye, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Council is accusing the DCE of secretly recording him and making the tape available to the press, without any justifiable cause. As a result, he wants the president to remove the DCE from office. MP Aboagye confirmed the alleged secret recording by the DCE, but told The Chronicle via phone that he did not ask President Mahama to sack him and that he only indicated in his letter that he could no more work with his DCE. According to the MP, the DCE, apart from the secret recording, had also exhibited unprofessional conduct towards him (MP) before, during and after becoming MP. The obviously peeved MP further told The Chronicle that he would not attend any meeting called by the DCE, including attempts by any third party to resolve the issue. �I will be comfortable without the DCE coming to my platform,� he said. The DCE, Joseph Dofoyena, confirmed on a Takoradi based radio station, Skyy Power FM that the MP had written to the presidency in a move to unseat him. According to DCE Dofoyena, prior to the election, the MP had had problems with him. He said the recent comment by the MP portrayed him (DCE) to the executives of the party in the constituency that he (DCE) was the �Last killer� left to be chased out of office, and this confirmed the reason why he had written such a letter about him. Dofoyena denied knowledge about the secret recording and prayed that he would be given fair hearing by his bosses. Upper West Region In a related development, Musah Umar Farouq reports from Wa that some members of Parliament of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West Region face being challenged by their DCEs, in the upcoming parliamentary primaries. The Chronicle has gathered that some of the DCEs have introduced their favourites into the rank and file of the executives and have gone to the extent of sponsoring their nomination and campaign during the constituency executive elections. The DCEs for Sissala West, Moses Dramani Luri; Sissala East, Juasuglo Johnson Saborh; Lambussie-Karni, Bom Kofi Dy-yaka and Wa East, Abdul Karimu Abudu are all lacing up their boots to contest their incumbent MPs in the upcoming NDC primaries. It is alleged that the Sissala East DCE, Juasulo Johnson Saborh had sponsored some candidates who have been elected into constituency executive positions. The MP for the area has some of the executives on her side. The Sissala East DCE has reportedly told delegates that NDC party gurus had allegedly promised to foot all his expenses for the parliamentary bid, once he gets the nod as parliamentary candidate for the constituency. Information gathered by The Chronicle indicates that the presiding Member of Sissala East, Mr. Bapulah, who is also the District Health Director and Mr. Mohammed Batagila, a personal secretary to the former MP for Sissala East, are to contest the upcoming parliamentary primary. The DCE for Sissala West, Mr. Moses Dramani Luri has confirmed his intention to contest his MP in the upcoming NDC primary to The Chronicle saying: �I have full support in the constituency to make me contest the primary�. According to him, a lot of people are calling on him to contest the upcoming NDC primary. Meanwhile, Alhaji Anim Animdu Sulemana, MP for Sissala West, who also doubles as the Upper West Regional Minister, has indicated in reaction to intended plans by the DCE that he was not afraid of competition and welcomes other contestants for the parliamentary seat. Suit in Kumasi Meanwhile, Richard Owusu-Akyaw also reports from Kumasi that the suit against the Regional and National executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) might not stay long in court, as the defendant NDC has moved to seek an out of court settlement. NDC Regional and National Executives were hauled before a Kumasi court by the outgoing TEIN President of Akrokerri Training College, Mr. Njonolah Linus, for overstaying in office. The court, presided over by Justice Jacob Boon, granted an interlocutory injunction to stop the ruling party from holding Regional and National Executives elections. But solicitor of the plaintiff, Lawyer Jacob Datsomor, has disclosed in a telephone interaction with The Chronicle that Mr. Victor Adawuga, representing the defendants, had on September 26, 2014 put forward a submission before the court for settlement. According to Lawyer Datsomor, he has advised the defendants to formally write to the court for consideration on the next adjourned date on October 10. He said the defendants are yet to formally communicate their acceptance of the condition. Njonolah Linus, the plaintiff, is seeking a declaration that the executives of the first and second defendants have overstayed their mandate of four years as provided by Articles 17 (4), 20 (4) and 23 (4) of the Constitution of the NDC. The writ of summons filed before a Kumasi High Court is also seeking a declaration jointly and severally against the defendants that the decision of the Ashanti Regional Executives to disqualify some card bearing members of the party from the Kwabre and Suame constituencies in particular is null and void because the guidelines for the election of party executives for 2014 had been grossly breached. The plaintiff also want the court to declare that all the elections organized and held by the second defendants are equally null and void and prayed the court to order the cancellation of constituency elections.