Another By-Election Looms In Ahanta West? … As MP Threatens To Resign

The Constituency Executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ahanta West are kicking against the purported attempts by the President, John Dramani Mahama to restore the sacked District Chief Executive (DCE) back to post.

The executives believed the reinstatement of Joseph Dofoyenah who was sacked for gross incompetence and abuse of office, would undermine the integrity of the party’s belief in probity and accountability.

Meanwhile, the party executives in the Constituency are also rising against his coming back because the Member of Parliament of the area, Hon. George Kwame Aboagye who feels insecure working with Joseph Dofoyenah is threatening to resign from parliament. This development, the executives believe could plunge the party into another by-election which will eventually lead to the defeat of the NDC in the constituency.

Information gathered on the grounds is that the party constituency executives who petitioned the President over the conduct of Joseph Dofoyenah when he was serving as the DCE provided evidence and reasons for which the President must remove Joseph Dofoyenah from post.

Not long after their persistent appeals and petitions to the Local Government Minister as well, the President had on February 10, 2015in accordance with article 243(3) (b) of the 1992 constitution sacked District Chief Executive for Ahanta West, Joseph Dofoyenah.

Though the President did not give any reasons for his removal, many people believed the President’s action was based on the petitions from the party’s constituency executives.

This paper has gathered that, before his removal from office, Joseph Dofoyenah was accused of misusing the District Assembly’s Internal Generated Fund (IGF) for failing to use the fund for developmental projects but rather using it on items that were irrelevant to the developments of the District.

Some information have it that the DCE at the time claimed to have used the monies generated in the IGF to purchase projectors even though the Assembly planned using the money to construct boreholes for the various communities under the District.

It has also been alleged that the Regional Minister, Hon. Paul Evans Aidoo had teamed up with Joseph Dofoyenah at the time he was serving as the DCE to collect 30% of total contract sums from contractors they fraudulently gave contracts to.

Speaking to an executive member, he indicated that the DCE, Joseph Dofoyenah had to employ a new Finance Coordinator at the time the substantive Finance Coordinator was on leave because he and his cohorts were unable to have access to monies for immaterial and their parochial agenda.

The angry party constituency executives and supporters during our follow ups in the Constituency have exposed the fact that the NDC had won the Ahanta West parliamentary seat through hard work, and that the party cannot afford to lose it.

They mentioned that Joseph Dofoyenah had fomented trouble in the party in Ahanta West by creating parallel constituency executives and was not ready to work with the newly elected executives.

It has been gathered that the MP of the area, Hon. George Kwame Aboagye in his attempt to ensure that the old executives hand over to the newly elected executives, fell into the bad books of the DCE, Joseph Dofoyenah who has insisted to make the work of the MP very difficult hence his entrenched stand on ensuring that any development project which the MP wants to bring to the area id thwarted.

The executives are also of the view that the publications in some state media that the President had re-nominated JosephDofoyenah as the DCE was wrong and that it was a grand scheme structured by the Western Regional Minister.

According to the people, they are ready to stand against any imposition of Joseph Dofoyenah on the District as their DCE should the President listen to the Regional Minister on the re-appointment of Joseph Dofoyenah as the DCE.

They called on the President not to do things that will mar the progress the Constituency has made so far to retain the seat and win more votes for the Party.