BONGO: DCE snubs misconduct allegations against him

Bongo DCE, Hon. Clement Akugre

The District Chief Executive for Bongo in the Upper East Region, Mr. Clement Akugre, has in a rather incisive and quick-witted rebuttal denied allegations of misconduct and wrong doings leveled against him by a cross-section of Members of the Assembly.

He said claims making the rounds in the district which were sparked by some disgruntled and discontented Assembly Members that he had picked undeserving and contemptible members of the assembly to make a trip with him to the United States of America were unfounded and tenuous.

He explained that, he had together with some of the Assembly Members, including the Paramount Chief of the area made a trip to Accra in May this year to attend a sister-cities international Conference at the International Conference Centre.

Mr. Akugre said at the time, the team made a lot of contacts with cities from across the world to establish with them areas where they could collaborate to bring development to their respective constituents.

According to him the move eventually paid dividend when he received a correspondence from the African Global Developmental Services and signed by one Nana Otchere, the Administrator of the Services in connection with the Bongo District Assembly’s participation in a Sister/City programme initiated and sanctioned by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

Mr. Akugre said the disgruntled members’ concerns with the composition of the team to make the trip to the U.S was baseless since the team was made up of himself (DCE), Deputy District Cordinating Director, Planning Officer and the Presiding Member.

“Since the trip was a business one there is the need to include technical people like the Presiding Member and the Cordinating Director who are into the mainstream management of the assembly’s matters. The Presiding Member for example has been there for over eleven years and his good deeds have been commended by all and syndry”.

He therefore found it surprising and malicious that those people who had always applauded the works of the PM and the DDCD would turn around and protest their inclusion in the team.

Some Executive Members of the assembly had on earlier on in the week told a press conference that due process was not followed and threatened that they would wage a legal battle against the District Assembly Common Fund Administrator if he went ahead to deduct the money.

A statement read by one of the Members, Mr Richard Adongo, said matters regarding expenditure were supposed to be tabled before the Executive Committee and that what the DCE had done was in violation of the standing order of the Assembly.

The statement said though the Sister/City programme was a laudable initiative, the Management of the Assembly did not see it prudent to brief the Executive Committee or the General Assembly.

The members also called on the Regional Minister, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development as well as the Sister/City programme to stop the Bongo delegation from embarking on the said journey.

Ghanadistricts.com/PF