Ada East DCE: Nana Addo, why Sarah?

By Ephraim Teye Spines, concerned citizen of Ada.

Article 243 of the constitution provides that there shall be a District Chief Executive for every district. The Chief Executive then becomes the chief representative of the central government in the district. I also know for sure that a district is a versatile multi-faceted ‘entity’ which needs a strong leader, both academically and socially, to be able to manage it.

It will not be far from the truth, or I should say it is just perfect to compare a DCE position to any other Chief Executive position there is. Act 462 provisions a district to be a local government unit with a minimum population of 75,000 people. Okay. MTN Ghana as at May 2016 has 1919 employees, serving over 18 million customers. GCB Bank Ltd as at 2016 has 1523 employees with over 150 branches and eleven agencies.

That’s not the point. But I’m just bringing our minds to the importance these organisations place on the appointment of whoever leads them, because they understand very well their scope and what they intend to achieve. To them, the leader of the organisation, be it local or multinational, is the maker or the breaker of it – it doesn’t matter who sits at the group level, or who the boss of their boss is.

Enough. Let me go to my substantive issue. From very good sources, my understanding was that, about five potential candidates went forth to be vetted for the DCE position of Ada East. Two emerged favourites: Frank Adumuah Norteye and John Sewu (NPP constituency chairman). The other three who couldn’t make the favourites’ list were Sarah Dugbakie Pobee (NPP Deputy Women’s Organiser), Gilbert Amanor Anim (NPP Constituency Secretary) and Kanor Senakey (NPP MP Candidate, 2016 elections). So then it was an either-or situation for Frank and Sewu.

But wait a minute… One of the non-favourites is rather given the nod over the two favourites. Sarah emerges the announced candidate for the DCE position of Ada East. Obviously the NPP government or party did not want their own constituency chairman to be the DCE. Congratulations Sarah! You came from behind to whip everyone to it. But I have few questions: Let’s even leave the constituency chairman out because his position is obvious:

1. How did you at the last minute make it to the shortlist, Sarah?

2. When did the vetting committee revise their decision to get you there?

3. How did you beat Frank to it? By qualifications? I guess so!

4. You had great lobbyists? I’m just asking.

5. Could it be something the Gender Ministry spearheaded? I don’t know, just asking.

6. What made Sarah get unto the shortlist at the eleventh hour and eventually being the preferred candidate over Frank?

HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Hajia Alima Mahama, we need answers. The government has very great and ambitious developmental policies they have started implementing. Key of them is One-District-One-Factory, and yes, one million dollars per constituency. Great stuff. But, do we not need people with the requisite experience and expertise to manage these policies and the resources thereof?

Yes! But it looks like this NPP government too wants to play ‘chaskele’ with the people of Ada just like the previous government? I cannot believe this. HE Nana Addo and the calibre of people around him prefer a Sarah to a Frank? A Frank that has a face value education of Masters in Public Sector Management, Bachelor of Law etc. etc. and a face value of work experience of 25 years with multinational companies to a Sarah who has an SSSCE and operates a ‘supermarket’? Lord, please grant me that understanding I lack to be able to just get some of these things without asking questions! How?

Let me just say this to the NPP as a party: “You guys have no intention of staying in power for long, because you do not want votes from your ‘weak-holds’ like Ada.” Don’t forget the right people bring the right development results, and the right… NDC can feed any candidate at all and win hands down, but take this from me, that too is changing! Mark this day. This is a very simple question which needs an urgent answer because you might have done a very thorough work to come to this decision: “How did Sarah topple Frank?”

This time, and as a result of very bitter experiences in the past, Adas will not accept anything in the name of anything, just because it’s something. We want what it ought to be. It’s very difficult comprehending how this could happen, and why this attempt at almost trying to test the pulse, the intelligence, and also how dumb the Adas are, so to say. If you want Ada to always sink development-wise too say it. If Ada is not part of the development agenda too say it. If a name has been mysteriously slipped in too say it. All we need, not just as Ada, but as a country is answers, telling us what advised your decision to pick Sarah over Frank.

To the public, the media, please check the CVs of Frank and Sarah for your read, as we await response from the appropriate quarters.

Citizen ETS For all Adas For all other Citizens