The Banda Traditional Council has declared that it will oppose any attempt by Banda District Chief Executive, Emmanuel Akoneh, to unilaterally relocate the District office of the Electoral Commission from the district capital, Banda Ahenkro, to Bwawo, which is contrary to the Executive Instrument (EI) that established the district in 2014.
According to the executive instrument that established the district, all district administrative offices should be built and operated from the district Capital, which is within walking distance of the offices.
However, the DCE has unilaterally awarded a contract for the construction of an Electoral Commission district office without the knowledge of the district’s Coordinating Director, the procurement officer, or the entire assembly.
After learning of the development, the Banda Traditional Council summoned the DCE to the Banda Ahenkro Palace for validation.
In response to a series of questions from the traditional council, the DCE, Mr. Emmanuel Akoneh, affirmed that a step to emigrate the district electoral office from Banda Ahenkro, the district capital, has begun.
He described” I’m doing this to ensure development is spread across the district. That is the main motive for the relocation” .
The traditional council leaders asked the DCE if he was accustomed with the legislative instrument that established the district, but the DCE said no and that he would have to contact the Assembly’s legal department for clarity.
The Chiefs who were spurred by the DCE’s answer inquired about the DCE’s actual reason for relocating the EC’s district office, but he insisted on sharing development across the district.
The traditional leaders asked again if the local government minister Dan Botwe, the Electoral Commission Chair, and the Bono regional Minister were aware of his decision, to which he replied no.
The traditional council cautioned the DCE against making illegal independent decisions that could stymie the district’s peace.
Meanwhile, the electoral commission headquarters has denied being aware of Banda DCE Emmanuel Akone’s attempt to relocate the EC’s district office from the district Capital.
A source at the EC Bono regional headquarters clarified, “we are aware that the Government has released money for the construction of the Electoral Commission’s district office in Banda Ahenkro for the district. We don’t at the moment have our independent office where we share offices with the National Identification Authority (NIA) in the same building. So if the district is building EC an office it can’t be built outside the district capital.
Meanwhile, EC’s national headquarters has denied sanctioning relocation of the office from Banda Ahenkro, the district office, to any other town.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
