Wa: Some MMDCEs are Not Advocating for 'Yes Referendum' Because they are afraid of Losing their Jobs - NALAG

The National Association for Local Authorities of Ghana NALAG has created more awareness for District Level Elections before Ghanaians go to the polls for the District Assembly Elections and the referendum to amend an entrenched clause thus article 55 (3) of the 1992 constitution.

The referendum which seeks to make District Assembly Elections partisan must attract at least, 40 percent voter turn out and also garnner at least 75 percent of the voters who vote yes per the dictates of the constitution of Ghana.

National Association for Local Authorities of Ghana NALAG is the mouth piece for the 260 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies MMDAs in Ghana.

As an association, the National Association for Local Authorities of Ghana NALAG mainly focuses on lobbying for policies and Programmes that are favorable to it’s members.

NALAG in preparation for the forth coming refrendun has organized a sensitization and stakeholders forum to engage its members on the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives MMDCEs at Wa.

Members of NALAG include MMDCEs and assembly members among others.

Even though all assemblies have been dissolved and there are no sitting assembly members, NALAG believes that they were the appropriate agents that could educate the electorate on the up coming referendum.

According to NALAG’s Programmes Officer, Joseph Owusu the referendum would allow members who live in the MMDAs to vote for their choice of MMDCEs if the referendum achieved ‘yes’ votes.

He added that the ‘yes’ vote in the referendum would also allow assembly member aspirants to use colors and symbols of their respective political parties and also afford the parties to sponsor their candidates.

The Programmes Officer of NALAG explained that there was fear among the political parties.

He stated that because there were lack of understanding about the process, the parties feared that if party A won In a particular MMDA, and party B was in government, party A could manipulate the development agenda of the ruling government in that particular area.

However, he clarified that once the election of MMDCEs became partisan, the statutory deductions such as the District Assembly Common Fund DACF would continue to go to the assemblies and the MMDCE must do what is expected of him regardless of his party affiliation.

Joseph Owusu said while some MMDCEs thought that they would have a secured turner of office but they fear that they could be voted out of office if their elections became partisan.

He highlighted that some MMDCEs were not helping to educate the populace to vote yes because they were afraid of losing their jobs.

Joseph Owusu therefore stressed that NALAG in collaboration with the Inter Ministerial Coordinating Committee on decentralization IMCC were engaging the public for them to understand what lies ahead.

“Other countries have done it and it is helping them. people fear that when we do it, it will bring a whole lot of misunderstanding and other things. We have to start something first. If we start something the the issues will come and we will engage ourselves look at the way forward and see how best we are able to resolve them and I believe that we would get a good local government policy for our country as it is happening in other countries”. He recommended.

U/W: RE - BNI Operatives Pick Up Ex Executive Secretary to IGP

Disregard publications on social media and some media portals that suggested that the Wa West Parliamentary candidate of the NDC Supt Rtd Peter Toobu has been picked up by BNI Operatives for investigations regarding a purported coup plot. An NDC Statement has directed.

A statement that was issued by the Upper West Regional Secretariat and signed by the Regional Communications Director, Puo-Ire Prosper has directed the general public to disregard publications on social media and some media portals that, the Wa West Parliamentary candidate of the NDC Supt Rtd Peter Toobu has been picked up by BNI Operatives for investigations regarding a purported coup plot.

The statement was released on Tuesday following a social media and other media information that indicated that the retired Police Officer was picked up by the Bureau of National Investigations BNI Operatives in connection with a coup plot.

According to the statement, the NDC in the Upper West wanted to make it emphatically clear that, Supt Rtd Peter Toobu is a law abiding citizen who has spent a considerable part of his life serving this nation diligently as an officer of the law. At no point in time within his life has he acted in aberration of same law that he protected so diligently.

It stressed that Peter Toobu’s loves and respect for democracy and rule of law made him present himself to serve his people through the established democratic processes after resigning from the Ghana Police Service where he occupied a lofty position as Executive Secretary to the IGP for many years.

“It is therefore warped logic to even begin to imagine that, a man who has demonstrated such magnitude of reverence for democracy and due processes could ever brood destabilizing the same democracy that he has firmly committed himself to”. The statement added.

Through the statement, the National Democratic Congress assure the general public that Supt Rtd Peter Toobu has not been picked up by any BNI operative. “He has not also been invited by any security agent and is not under any investigation for any wrong doing.

"He is hearty and going round his campaigns with the assurance of being dully elected by his constituents”. The NDC Statement has said.

The statement has emphasized in conclusion assure that as a law abiding citizen, Supt Rtd Peter Lanchene Toobu will avail himself for any lawful interrogation since he is very clear in his conscience that, never at any point in time did he act in a manner that will compromise the security of the state.