Minister Angry With Absentee DCEs

The Western Region Minister, Paul Evans Aidoo, has expressed dissatisfaction with the attitude of some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who either absented themselves form or reported late during Western Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) meetings. �I have realized that some MMDCEs are not interested in RCC meetings, where we discuss pertinent issues affecting the region and take major decisions, hence such a low attendance at the start of today�s meeting,� he intimated. Visibly unhappy at the low turnout, Mr Aidoo openly called on the press to publish the names of MMDCEs and Presiding Members (PMs) in the region who were absent at the start of the meeting so that they would learn to be exemplary leaders. The regional minister and the chief director of the Western Regional Coordinating Council, David Yaro, were at the venue of the meeting at 9:30am to exchange pleasantries with the few MMDCEs and heads of departments present and deliberately started the meeting at 10:15am instead of 10am, the scheduled time. Those absent when the meeting began at exactly 10:15am were Captain (retired) Anthony Cudjoe, MCE of Sekondi-Takoradi and Ali Mohammed, the Presiding Member (PM); Christina Kobinah, MCE of Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Moses Ackah, the PM; James Ackah Cobbinah, MCE of Nzema East and E. Y. Kwofie, the PM; Joseph Dofoyenah, DCE of Ahanta West and Emmanuel Okumi Andoh, the PM. Others were DCE Victor Samuel Meisu, DCE of Wassa Amenfi West and James Adama, the PM; Moses Wisdom Cudjoe, DCE of Prestea-Huni Valley and David Agatiba, Solomon Fuachie, DCE of Juaboso and J.E. Mensah, the PM; Peter Nkuah, DCE of Akontombra and Ray Kpedor Senyefia, the PM, as well as Stephen Baidoo Acheampong, DCE of Wassa Amenfi East and Nana Saah, the PM. The regional minister pointed out that chain saw operators and illegal farmers had invaded the Sui River Forest Reserve in the region so the RCC, in conjunction with the Forestry Commission, was doing everything to flush out the illegal activities and the encroachers. �We have deployed some military personnel to assist the forest guards and would therefore entreat the chiefs and district assemblies in those areas to offer them the needed assistance,� Aidoo added. He also added that the concern of people in the region bordered mostly on the state of roads in the region which they drummed home during the recently-held �Western Policy Fair�. He appealed to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to create a budget line for routine maintenance on the roads, using their graders. He said the situation had been worsened by recent excessive rains and mentioned particularly the Sefwi Wiawso-Akontombra, Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayanfuri, Benchima Junction-Oseikojokrom and Bogoso-Prestea roads in the Nzema East District.