BOLGA: Assembly men and women aligned to NDC demand removal of civil servants (Message flagged Wednesday, March 14, 2012 )

BOLGA: Assembly men and women aligned to NDC demand removal of civil servants Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga Some assembly members of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly in the Upper East Region are contemplating initiating impeachment proceedings against the Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr. John Nyaaba. The decision to impeach the Presiding Member who is also the Assembly Member for the Nyariga Electoral Area MCE, according to the aggrieved assembly members was because of the P.Ms disregards to local governance acts and other actions they concede are very divisive and threaten the unity of the house. A group of Assembly members, who hinted the Daily Graphic of an impeachment plan said the action to removed the PM has also become necessary following a recent letter dated, March 2, 2012 written by the P.M and endorsed by 18 other government appointed assembly members addressed to the Office of the President, demanding the transfer of the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Yakubu Abukari Alhassan and three other civil servants, namely the Second Deputy Coordinating Director, The Finance Officer and Budget Officer. The P.M in his letter accused the four civil servants as being moles of the opposition NPP who do not support the ruling NDC but are rather engaged in subtle maneuvers aimed at thwarting the efforts of the assembly in its bid to bring development to the area. The letter which was copied to the Upper East Regional Minister, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, the National Security Coordinator and the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, was endorsed by 13 government appointee and 5 elected assembly members. Some of the allegations labeled against the civil servants in question were that they were meddling in partisan politics, are in touch with the NPP communication team in the municipality and feeding them with happenings within the assembly, that they(the accused) discriminate against NDC assembly members and are more inclined towards NPP assembly members, that they are not keen at facilitating the sub-structure through their failure to attend committee meetings to record minutes and even when they do attend, what they do not record true proceedings. Again, the PM alleged that the Municipal Coordinating Director has teamed up with key staff against the efforts of the MCE and NDC assembly members by dragging their feet in the implementation of assembly decisions and resolution despites promptings by the MCE. “One such issue has to do with the provision of furniture for the presiding member’s offices which are mandatory”, he said adding the staff of the assembly deliberately hide or conceal some official correspondence from the Municipal chief executive. “One such example is the Audited General’s Query letter of 2011 and other important documents”, the P.M alleged. The in his letter held the view that it was only by removing the Civil servants from office that the chances of the NDC can be boosted to win the 2012 elections in the area. However, according to the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Yakubu Abukari Alhassan, the accusations of by the P.M and assembly members were baseless. He said the accusations smacks of ethic agenda clothed in political colors aimed at tarnishing his reputation and long standing service to mother Ghana. Mr. Alhassan who had initial declined to comment on the matter said he will at an appropriate time and following the right procedures come out to clear the air on all the allegations leveled against him and his colleagues -End-