Assin North Assembly Passes Vote Of No Confidence In District Coordinating Director And Procurement Officer; Threatens Sitting Boycott

Assembly Members of the Assin North District Assembly in the Central Region have passed a vote of no confidence in the District Coordinating Director (DCD), Mr. Prince Kwame Newman, and the District Procurement Officer, Mr. Jawula Samaanu, calling for their immediate removal from office.

The decision was taken at an emergency Assembly meeting held on Thursday, where 21 out of the 26 Members present voted in favour of the motion.

The Members cited what they described as persistent administrative failures, misconduct, and actions they say have stalled development in the district.

Addressing the media after the meeting, the Presiding Member of the Assembly, Hon. Mark Nti Ballack, said the decision was arrived at after careful deliberation and not taken in haste, stressing that the situation had become untenable.

According to him, formal petitions detailing the Assembly’s grievances have been submitted to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Central Regional Minister, and the District Chief Executive (DCE) for urgent attention.

Hon. Ballack outlined five key reasons behind the vote of no confidence, including allegations of truancy against both the District Coordinating Director and the Procurement Officer, the failure to release the Assembly’s only vehicle for revenue mobilisation, allegedly being used as personal property, and the persistent refusal to approve documents required for the execution of development projects.

He further accused the two officials of sabotaging the work of the District Chief Executive and the Member of Parliament, showing disrespect to Assembly Members, and maintaining poor working relationships with staff of the Assembly.

He noted that these actions have not only stalled development but have also eroded public confidence in local governance and government institutions.

Despite several attempts to engage the two officials to address the concerns raised, Hon. Ballack said no meaningful progress has been made.

He further hinted that the Assembly Members have resolved to boycott all Assembly sittings if the appropriate authorities fail to accede to their demands.

Meanwhile, some aggrieved Assembly Members disclosed that an amount of GH¢10 million, representing the district’s share of the District Assemblies Common Fund, is currently lying idle in the Assembly’s account.

They alleged that the funds remain inaccessible due to the failure of the Coordinating Director and the Procurement Officer to sign the necessary documents required for their release to support ongoing and planned projects, including road construction and water facilities.

The Assembly Members said the situation has worsened developmental challenges in their respective electoral areas and brought several projects to a standstill.

They are therefore appealing to the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to, as a matter of urgency, remove the two officials to pave the way for accelerated development in the Assin North District.

Story by Kwame Owusu Asante Shadrack, Rich FM, Assin Fosu