�Only President Mahama Can Sack Me� � DCE

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Ahafo �Ano South Assembly in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Gabriel Berima, has unequivocally stated that it is only President John Dramani Mahama who has the power to sack him from the job as a DCE. �Only President Mahama who has the prerogative power to sack me from my post as a DCE for the Ahafo-Ano South Assembly because I was appointed , approved by the assembly members and sworn in conscience with Article 243 of the 1992 Constitution,� he stressed. The DCE, who was reacting to a call by some youth supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the district on President Mahama not to nominate him (Mr. Berima ) as the DCE for the area again based on number of allegations leveled against him said , in spite of the fact that since he was nominated by the late President Atta Mills in June 2012 ,he had neither been given his appointment letter nor received the salary due him, he had been working assiduously to ensure that the district was not left behind the ever speeding �Better Ghana Agenda�� vehicle. �My friend listen to me very well ,despite the fact that for the past ten months I was nominated confirmed by the assembly members and sworn in by the then Ashanti Regional Minister till date, I had not received any pay but I�m committed to working restlessly for the Assembly to realize the vision of the �Better Ghana Agenda�, he emphatically said. According to him, it was some faceless persons, especially those who were eyeing his position, who were pushing the youth to fabricate stories to tarnish his reputation. � It is frivolous allegation, incredible to the effect that I have not been showing respect to chiefs , queens and other elderly persons in the district; those peddling such falsehoods are rather saboteurs to the forward movement of the Assembly,� he stressed. The DCE indicated his readiness to be subjected to any investigation, adding that as the first DCE for the area he is familiar with what it takes to relate well with the elderly hence the allegations were calculated plans to run him down. One Mr. Daniel Mante, a youth leader of the NDC, last Wednesday held a press conference during which he blamed the DCE for neglect of party activities in the run up to the 2012 elections. He explained prior to the elections that the DCE exhibited lackadaisical attitude towards campaigning in particular, at Biemso NO 1 where he hails from . This according to Mr. Mante, made the party to lose miserably in the area. Among other things, he also accused Mr. Berima for always ridiculing some functionaries of the party publicly, a situation he described as very embarrassing to most of the supporters of the party. Again, he said during a meeting of cadres the DCE openly told them that he bought his position (DCE position ) with money and would continue to buy it again. �The DCE on one occasion told us that he bought his position with his money from the regional and national executives of the party and has been boasting that this time round he will buy the position again but we the youth here want to tell him that position is not for sale but one is appointed through merit and hard work,� he remarked. Mr. Mante alleged that the DCE had penchant for raining insults on the staff of the Assembly and most of the competent workers there have threatened to apply for transfer. This development he believed has tendency to thwart the growth of the Assembly if the DCE is not called to order immediately. �The District Chief Executive has difficulty in understanding people, his robust behavior coupled with his insulting attitude is causing disaffection in the NDC here�� he noted.