Following the report that Mr. Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister locked out some Municipal and District Chiefs Executives (MDCEs) and heads of departments in Bolgatanga for reporting late to the Regional Coordinating Council meeting, a report which was carried out by Ghana News Agency on the 24th December 2022, there has been a continuous call and pressure from members of the general public for this platform to get in touch with the DCEs for their side of the story. Apexnewsgh.com report
The story says, out of the 15 MMDCs, the only 5 who were present are: Mr. Joseph Adongo, Kassena-Nankana Municipal, Mr. Gerard Ataogye, Kassena-Nankana West, Mr. Issahaku Tahiru, Bawku West, Mr. Osman Musah, DCE for Garu and Mr. David Amoah, Bolgatanga East.
However, based on that massive demand from members of the general public, Apexnewsgh.com decided to engage some of the DCEs who were victims of the ‘LOCKED OUT’ action themselves, to hear their side of the story.
Engaging the Binduri District Chief Executive (DCE) Ayinga Abagre Yakubu to hear his own side of the story he said, a query has been given to them and they will respond. Explaining what made him report late at the meeting he said, “With my own is very simple. You know Bawku and Binduri are very close and especially where I lived my village is closer to Bawku. A night before the meeting, there was a serious fight in Bawku and whenever there was a fight in Bawku there is a spillover in Binduri. So, when one wakes up in the morning, there are some other things one can do before he lives and it is about human lives and sometimes, we cannot just underrate human lives just like that. And even on that very fight in Bawku one of my community members was wounded, there was a straight bullet that hits his neck and he was rushed to Tamale, and just yesterday Monday he died. So, if you are sitting with people and such a thing should happen and you get up and say you are trying to rush to a meeting. So, sometimes we thought we could also address some of these issues before we can leave”. He told Apexnewsgh.com
According to the Nabdam District Chief Executive (DCE) Agnes Anamoo, she explained that she is not someone who reports to meetings or any function late, she confirmed taking some permission from both Regional Minister and Regional Director on health matters. “On my side, on the 16th of December, we had a meeting with UNICEF at the Health Service in Bolga, and that day, the Regional Minister and Director were together and I took permission that I won’t be able to come for the meeting, because I wasn’t well and went for treatment and they asked me to come back. So, that day, I wasn’t actually there, I went to the hospital, and even at the hospital, I still text him to let him know that am still at the hospital but in case they finished on time and I will come. So, when I came they said, they have locked them out and I asked and they said because they came late. So, mine was a permission I took earlier on”.
The Tempane District Chief Executive (DCE) Issaka Anabida, also explained that he not being able to report early at the meeting wasn’t deliberate. According to him, a robbery incident caused him not to be at the meeting on time. “The issue is that, there was some armed robbery incident in my district, the road between Garu and Binduri, the robbers robbed some 3 Kumasi buses. Not knowing that one of them attempted running and they shot him. So that day, they looked round and couldn’t see the body. So, the following day, the youth of my area were now aggrieved, they came to me and said, we have to do something and i directed them to continue the search. When I got the scene on my way to the meeting in Bolga, they have already seen the body, not knowing he went and hide under a gutter and they shot him there. And the way the situation is, I had to call the police to make sure things are done well, because the body was getting decomposed. So, I told my director to let them know that is the reason I will be coming late. So, I got to the meeting around 10:45 am, when they were introducing themselves, and they say we should wait maybe after the introduction they will allow us in. Then, later we were told because we came late, we will not be allowed in. Coming late at the meeting wasn’t deliberate at all”. He explained
Meanwhile, the Bongo District Chief Executive Rita Atanga when we contacted her, declined to speak to us on the issue.
The Talensi District Chief Executive Thomas Duanab however, explained that he wasn’t at the said meeting because he had already taken permission to go for a medical review.
Also engaging the Builsa North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Madam Vida Akantagriwen Anaab, she said, she and her colleague the Builsa South DCE Kwame Gariba also took permission.
“To be frank, myself and the Builsa South District Chief Executive couldn’t go, the meeting was on Monday and the following day Tuesday was our Fiok festival. So, we asked for permission and they granted us that permission to stay back and organize our place for the Fiok festival”.
Meanwhile, the locked-out decision by the Regional Minister didn’t affect the District Chief Executives alone, some heads of departments such as the Regional Health Director and the Regional boss for Roads and Highways, and some others were victims.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana
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