By: Evans Attah Akangla| ignewss|Ho
The Ho Municipal Assembly in the recent days has been in the state of dilemma, a situation which is affecting the effective and sustainable working cohesion among the assembly authorities and members.
Inside Ghana News Service (www.ignewss.com) set to investigate the circumstance surrounding the development after picking information that, a group of assembly members in the municipality are threatening to take the law into their hands by physically preventing the former head of works department from further holding unto his office, bungalow and keys to the official vehicle belonging to the Ho Municipal Assembly.
Accusation
The Assembly members accused former Engineer of the Municipality, Ing. Edward Anyam and the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Divine Bosson for working against the development of the Ho Municipality with what they described as “their unholy partisan political alliance”.
The transfer
It was understood that both Ing. Edward Anyam and the former Municipal Planning Officer (MPO), Wahab Zakari, were being released from the Assembly following their transfer by the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) sometime in August 2023. Subsequently the MPO reluctantly left about a week ago, but the engineer remains adamant and still refusing to hand over to his successor.
Transfer letter and follow up
IGNEWSS’s further checked into the matter, laid hands on some documents from the Volta Regional Coordinating Council VRCC dated August 31, 2023, with the reference Number VRCC. 40/01/35A and signed by Augustus K. Awiti the Chief Director for Hon. Regional Minister indicated that, the VRCC has posted some officers from some six (6) Municipal and Districts to new Assemblies as head of department.
Ing. Edward Kwasi Anyam with Principal Engineer grade according to the letter was posted to Kpando Municipal as Head of Department and could be replaced by Prosper Folitse a quantity surveyor from Hohoe Municipal Assembly.
The Memo further indicated that, “Hon. Municipal/District Chief Executives of the affected officers are kindly requested to release them whilst the receiving Assemblies report the assumption of duty of the officers at their new stations to the Volta Regional Coordinating Council with a copy to the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service.”
Further, a document from the Ho Municipal Assembly signed for Municipal Chief Executive by Henry Yao Amesimeku, the Coordinating Director for Ho Municipal Assembly to Municipal Engineer Mr. Edward Kwasi Anyam stated that “We refer to the Volta Regional Coordinating Council’s letter No. VRCC 40/01/35 dated 31 August 2023 posting you to the Kpando Municipal Assembly and wish to inform you that you have been released with immediate effect to report to your new station.”
The letter requested him to properly hand over all properties/documents of the Municipal Assembly in his possession to the Coordinating Director before leaving and thanked him for the meritorious services rendered to the Ho Municipal Assembly over the years.
The dilemma: Successor operates from office veranda, conference room.
The successor who officially reported to duty about one month ago has since been condemned to the office corridors and the municipal assembly conference room.
The Assembly member said, the situation is landing them in what they described as a “in deep dilemma” over which official in particular to turn-to with developmental challenges of their communities especially in the run-up to the December 19 Assembly and Unit committee elections is treated in this manner.
“Worst of all is when we still see the MCE moving round with the engineer. We are therefore threatening a showdown with the outgoing engineer if he fails to officially hand over.”
Presiding Member wrote to Municipal Coordinating Director for clarification
To that effect and the alleged refusal and still holding to office by the said officers a document sighted signed from the Office of the Presiding Member of the Ho Municipal Assembly Hon. Mawunyo Agbe to the office of the Municipal Coordinating Director copied to the Hon. Municipal Chief Executive Ho Municipal Assembly requesting for an update on the officers to enable the Assembly members execute their mandate effectively as prescribed
“Promptly provide my office with the names of officers in charge of the following. Unit/Department of Ho Municipal Assembly thus Department of Works and Development Planning”
Contacting the Presiding Member Hon. Mawunyo Agbe on the development he revealed that he only write to the Coordinating Director pending reply and hence can only speak if he get reply to his request.
MCE Hon. Divine Bosson reaction
Meanwhile the MCE Hon. Divine Bosson in an interview has clearly downplayed the letter of posting from the VRCC stating that, it was not addressed through him.
He further said, the Municipal Chief Director’s reply was also done without his authorization hence he has sent a letter of withdrawal of the Director’s letter to the Regional Coordinating Council.
Mr. Divine Bosson further stated that the Works Engineer, Mr Edwards Kwasi Anyam, will not leave post since his efforts are geared towards protecting the Assembly purse adding that the newly posted officer “should be on standby.”
“I referred to the letter dated 20th September 2023 under the above subject matter and wish to state that the letter purporting to be releasing my management staff Mr. Kwasi Anyam the Municipal Engineer was written without my authorization pursuant to section 78 subsection 6 of the Local Government Act 2016 act 936. So how then do the release of a staff responsible to me be done without my notice? MCE’s letter to VRCC stated.
However, Inside Ghana News Service (www.ignewss.com) further digs into the issue. Details coming soon