A decision by the District Chief Executive(DCE) for Bongo Rita Atanga to dismiss some appointed members of the District Assembly has sparked confusion amongst the rank and file of the party in the constituency.
A meeting of the assembly to elect a presiding member of the Bongo District Assembly ended in chaos on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, when some members of the New Patriotic Party who were serving as the president’s appointees on the assembly were served with dismissal letters at the meeting.
The District Chief Executive Rita Atanga in exercising her powers under the Local Government Act dismissed 15 out of the 17 appointed members and immediately appointed new members shortly before the election of a presiding member.
However, confusion broke out when some of the dismissed members refused to leave the meeting hall and forcefully stopped the process for the election of the presiding member.
The situation degenerated into violence resulting in police intervention and protection of the DCE.
In the heat of the exchanges at the Bongo Magistrate Court Hall where the meeting was held, a disgruntled member allegedly pulled an electricity cut-out serving the building, thereby causing a power outage while some grabbed and seized the judge’s gavel.
They argued that their dismissal was in bad faith and disrespectful because they were invited to the meeting to elect a presiding member, only to be served with dismissal letters.
“You can’t invite us for a meeting and when we leave our homes and arrive here you serve us with dismissed letters. That is morally wrong and disrespectful,” an angrily dismissed member told journalists.
Speaking in an interview on Dreamz Fm in Bolgatanga monitored by Ashantibiz.com, Adonho Jerry Adombire, a member of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) whose appointment was revoked said the party is not aware of such a decision and no consultation was done in the appointment of the new assembly members.
The assembly is expected to attempt the election of a presiding member in their next meeting.
ashantibiz
