Elembele NYEP Co-ordinator Fired

The District Chief Executive of Ellembelle in the Western Region has stated categorically that he had written to terminate the appointment of Alfred Awuah, Ellembelle District Coordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP). The second paragraph of a letter dated 24th August 2009, and signed by Daniel K. Eshun, District Chief Executive for Ellembelle, states, �You are by this letter informed to prepare and hand over all official documents in your possession to the District Chief Executive on Friday, 28th August 2009, since your service has ended�. When contacted on phone, Mr. Eshun confirmed that he had authored such a letter to Mr. Awuah, but would not want to comment further because the Coordinator had told him (DCE) that he was going to take legal action on the issue. �I am prepared to answer questions in court rather than an interview because Awuah has verbally threatened to take legal action against me. Various radio stations have called me on the issue, but I declined to comment,� he added. However, when Awuah was contacted, he explained he was shocked when he received the letter with a heading �Letter of Appreciation�, the contents of which rather spelt his termination of appointment by the Ellembelle DCE for no logical reason. The opening paragraph was, �The Ellembelle District Assembly wishes to extend its profound gratitude to you for serving the District as the District Coordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme�. It was followed by the second paragraph asking Awuah to hand over all documents in his possession to the DCE on Friday, 28th August 2009. Awuah said he replied the DCE�s letter, pointing out to him that he (the NYEP Coordinator) was appointed by the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment and not the DCE and that he the DCE was not his employer. DAILY GUIDE sighted Awuah�s appointment letter, which was actually signed by Nana Akomea, former Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment and not by any former District Chief Executive, and that Alfred Awuah's contract appointment was to end on 2nd November 2009, subject to renewal. �The DCE had told me point-blank that Nana Akomea signed my letter, but since he was no longer the Minister in charge of NYEP, I must not work in his district as the NYEP Coordinator, which is beyond my understanding,� he pointed out. Awuah intimated that the DCE had also written to rural banks in the District where most of the NYEP personnel drew their allowances, instructing the bank managers not to honour chits signed by Awuah. Six NYEP personnel, who declined to mention their names, called DAILY GUIDE on phone that they could not draw their June 2009 allowances because the bank manager of Nzema Manle Rural Bank at Awiebo had refused to honour chits signed by Awuah, saying he was acting on instructions from above. The personnel retorted: �How can we suffer in the hands of the DCE by being denied our meagre allowances for June 2009. �We are not part of the current political vendetta, so if the DCE has any axe to grind with our NYEP coordinator, we must not be targets,� they echoed. When Mr. Ransford Gaisie, the bank manager of Nzema Manle Rural Bank, was contacted on phone, he refused to talk, saying he would only do so after seeking permission from the bank�s board chairman. The District Co-ordinator of the NYEP said he was still at post, but had officially informed the Regional Coordinator of the NYEP about the DCE�s letter and waiting patiently to see the next line of action. K. K. Sam, Western Regional Coordinator of the NYEP, could neither be traced at his office in Sekondi nor be reached on his cell phone for his comments, despite several attempts.