Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie
MEMBERS AND youth of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Asokore Constituency of the Sekyere East District within the Ashanti Region have petitioned President Akufo-Addo to ensure that the next District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area is appointed from Asokore and not Effiduase.
The move, according to members of the party, is to ensure what they termed as equity and to prevent the possibility of creating disaffection for the NPP within the area in case another DCE is appointed from Effiduase.
That, they claimed, was because “the current Member of Parliament has been elected from Effiduase in the person of Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie and the Presiding Member of the Assembly is also from the same town in the person of Hon. Foster Asare.”
In the petition signed by one Dennis Asenso, Elected Assembly Member of Asokore and Yaw Adu, a government appointee, among others, the party members within Asokore observed the need to uphold the tradition of the party within the area in respect to appointments.
“We want the tradition that exist within the constituency to remain unchanged,” according to the petition.
“The constituency is made up of Effiduase and Asokore Traditional Areas. At the party level, Effiduase and Asokore, by convention since 1992, have reserved some constituency positions solely for persons from Asokore and Effiduase respectively.”
“Therefore on the matter of equity, Your Excellency, where do you think the appointment of District Chief Executive will be?” they quizzed.
“However, 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections are just around the corner, in view of that when the DCE appointment goes to Effiduase, don’t you think the people of Asokore would be peeved and may vote against the party?”
“Our political opponents (NDC) can use this as a point to campaign against the NPP because they even selected their District Chief Executive from Asokore when the MP was from Effiduase.”
“In view of this we are appealing to His Excellency the President to use his good offices to appoint the incoming District Chief Executive from Asokore so that peace and tranquility that exist within the Constituency would prevail.”
BY Melvin Tarlue