By Edward Williams
Likpe (O/R), Feb. 14, GNA – Mr Kenneth Norviewu, Presiding Member of the Guan District Assembly, says allegations by the Concerned Youths of Likpe on the relocation of District Departments are false.
The Youth accused the District Chief Executive of the Assembly of advancing plans to relocate three Departments from the district capital.
Mr Norviewu, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the District Chief Executive (DCE), Madam Janet Emefa Obro-Adibo Goka was the political and administrative head of the Guan District Assembly with the responsibility of ensuring implementation of decisions made at General Assembly under the law.
The statement said the DCE did not take decisions and implement them unilaterally as reported by the youth group.
It said the decision to decentralise the departments in Guan District was in line with the government policy of decentralisation.
The statement said the Local Government and Decentralisation and Rural Development, Minister Mr Dan Botwe, during the inauguration of the district disclosed that all decentralised Departments would be evenly distributed in the four Traditional Areas to spread development across the district.
It said the Oti Regional Minister, Dr Joshua Makubu in the Assembly’s first Executive Committee meeting re-echoed the stance of the Minister.
The statement said a Joint Consultative Committee which worked towards the creation of the district, also recommended the form of decentralisation.
“In addition, the chiefs in the district also met and agreed on the evenly distribution of the distributable departments.”
The statement said as at the time all the recommendations were being made, the DCE was not appointed.
It said at the First Ordinary Sitting of the Second Session of the General Assembly held on March 8, last year, when the current DCE was then a government appointee, a motion was tabled for debate on decentralisation of Health and Education Directorates.
The statement said a five-member committee was put together by the Presiding Member, to look into the issue.
It said recommendations by the Committee were based on the settlement architecture of the four traditional areas that made up the Guan District as well as ease of access by the areas.
The statement said the recommendations were also based on fostering unity among the four traditional areas and ensuring equity and parity in terms of development reaching the four traditional areas.
It said following the recommendations, it was agreed by vote that District Health Directorate be located between Santrokofi and Akpafu while Education at Lolobi.
The statement advised the aggrieved youth to seek clarification to issues rather than engaging media persons or using other social media means to put false accusations into the public domain.
It said Likpe could not stand as a district of its own and the General Assembly’s decision to decentralise other departments rather than create disunity as perceived by the petitioners, would foster the needed unity for peaceful cohesion and development.
GNA