SAVELUGU-NANTON CONFIRMS PRESIDENT'S NOMINEE (PAGE 13, OCT 17)

MEMBERS of the Savelugu-Nanton District Assembly last Thursday finally approved Mr Prince Askia Mohammed as the new District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, after the assembly failed for the fifth consecutive time to confirm the nomination of a candidate for the post.
The ceremony was held amidst tight security. Mr Mohammed polled 35 votes out of the 52 members who were present, representing 67 per cent.
The new DCE who hails from Savelugu but traces his lineage to other parts of the district, was the third person to be nominated for the post of DCE for Savelugu after the first two nominees failed to be confirmed by the assembly.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Mohammed entreated the assembly members to bury the hatchet and work “as a coherent team” to accelerate the development of the area.
“I accept the challenge and the confidence reposed in me, and pledge to team up with all members of the assembly to continue the development process” he intimated.
The DCE also pledged to harness the available human and material resources for development and “to make every one to feel part of the decision making process”.
According to him, his major task would be to fight poverty, ignorance and disease that had over the years affected residents of the district and called for the needed support to help turn things around.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Sumani Nayina, urged the new DCE to operate an open door administration, saying the assembly members must cooperate with him to help achieve the development targets of the district.
During the counting of votes, the police moved in swiftly to whisk away two men who nearly marred the process.
Earlier, the police intervened when some youth attempted to prevent some assembly members from entering the district assembly hall to vote. The police, subsequently screened those entering the hall and allowed only eligible voters access to the room to vote.
Last week, chaos erupted at the assembly when it failed to confirm the new DCE.
Some youth who were apparently enraged by that development, attempted venting their anger on some of the assembly members but were prevented by the police.
In the process, two policemen sustained injuries as the angry youth allegedly pelted them with stones to make up for the lashings they received from them. The police also reacted by firing warning shots and tear gas to disperse the irate youth.