Percy Opata flanked by some executive members of TRID while addressing journalists
TEMA RESIDENTS In Development (TRID), a pressure group in Tema has condemned a demand by the Ga-Adangme Concerned Youth that Metropolitan, Municipal District Chief Executives (MMDCE) in the Greater Accra Region must be appointed from the Ga-Adangme tribe.
Addressing a news conference on Monday, Mr. Percy Opata, the Communication Director of TRID noted that Tema is a cosmopolitan area therefore such appointments must be based on competence, dedication, loyalty and commitment to the ruling government to achieve it promises and not on tribal descent.
According to TRID, the move by the Ga-Adangme youth was a conscious attempt by the group to incite Ga-Adangmes against all other ethnic groupings across the nation.
The group cautioned that the ‘deadly tribal politics’ had become so alarming thus creating an unnecessary tension within the region.
“This is very dangerous for the cohesion and peaceful coexistence within the nation. We want to put on record that Greater Accra Region, and for that matter Tema, does not only comprise Ga speaking people.”
Mr Opata emphatically stated that TRID is not denying the fact that every Ghanaian irrespective of place of origin can become an MMDCE and the constitution acknowledges that.
“It is therefore quite absurd and insincere on the part of the Ga-Adangme group to have stated that, if possible, they would demonstrate against the decision and create the awareness to all that they are not mere pushovers and any attempt to deny their people of these positions in the region will not be countenanced on their land,” TRID submitted.
“We would like to conclude by asking the ‘so called indigenous people’ to account for their contributions to the development of the Greater Accra Region. This primitive approach and means of getting political portfolios must be stopped.”
TRID appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to succumb to what it described as ‘divisive and erroneous interpretation of the constitution by the Ga-Adangme youth’ but appoint people with proven track record, loyal and selfless individuals who share in his government’s vision irrespective of their tribe for the positions.
It would be recalled that on January 17, 2017, the Ga-Adangme Concerned Youth organized a press conferences and called on Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ensure that his MMDCES appointees in the Greater Accra Region are solely of Ga-Adangme descent.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema