ACCEPT THE PRESIDENT'S APPOINTMENT (PAGE 16)

SOME executive members of the New Juaben North and South constituencies of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have urged the rank and file of the party to accept the President’s appointment of Mr Alex Asamoah as the Chief Executive for the New Juaben Municipality.
That, they noted, would prevent any possible division among the party’s supporters to ensure the rapid development of the municipality and its early elevation into a metropolitan status.
At a press briefing over the weekend, the New Juaben North Propaganda Secretary of the party, Mr Joshua Attah Mensah, said “we are full of praise for the President because he has picked the right person for the job”.
The briefing, which was a quick reaction to an earlier press conference by a section of the party who were against the appointment of Mr Asamoah, was attended by executive members and supporters of the two constituencies of the party.
Mr Mensah said although disagreement that characterised some of the nominations for the post of metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives were usual, over-stretching it could lead to the erosion of the credibility accorded the party by Ghanaians.
He, therefore, appealed to the rank and file to respect and accept the President’s decision to enable the party to fulfil its promises to the people.
Highlighting the background of Mr Asamoah, he said the nominee was the chief executive for the New Juaben Municipality for only three months before the party lost power and handed over in January 2001.
“Mr Asamoah, who is a graduate and product of the School of Administration of the University of Ghana, Legon, also had the opportunity to work at the Ministry of Finance in South Africa,” Mr Mensah stated, adding that “although his stay in office was brief, he made his mark.”
“We are therefore hopeful that Mr Asamoah, being at the helm of affairs at the New Juaben Municipal Assembly and in collaboration with the assembly members, will work assiduously to ensure the elevation of the municipality to a metropolitan status soon,” the propaganda secretary added.
Earlier at a separate press conference to express their disagreement over the appointment Mr Asamoah for the MCE post, some executive members and supporters of the party called on the President to reconsider his decision and rather give the post to Mr Ransford Boakye, who was made to stand as the parliamentary candidate for New Juaben South Constituency on the ticket of the NDC but lost in the recent elections.
The New Juaben South Constituency Chairman of the party, Mr Andrew Awuku, who made the call, said since Mr Boakye was assured of the post by the national executive of the party, he resigned from his well-paid job to enable him to commit himself to the cause of the party.
“We therefore consider it unfair to deny him the MCE post, since out of love and loyalty he boldly stood out among the many who refused to accept the challenge to contest the parliamentary election for the New Juaben Constituency,” Mr Awuku stated.
According him, prior to the December elections, Mr Asamoah, who had been given the appointment, never showed any commitment to the cause of the party yet had succeeded in influencing the hearts and minds of the executive of the party, who had rewarded him with the chief executive post.
“We, therefore, will want to sound a word of caution that we will advise ourselves if our concerns are not addressed by the President immediately,” Mr Awuku cautioned.