GOMOA EAST ASSEMBLY FAILS TO APPROVE NOMINEE (PAGE 16)

The Gomoa East District Assembly failed to approve the President’s nominee, Mr Mark Jewel Joseph Annan, for the post of District Chief Executive at its maiden sitting at Gomoa Afransi.
Mr Annan, Assembly member for Gomoa Fetteh and a staff of the Parliamentery Service, who polled 15 votes, however secured 51.7 per cent of the total number of members present who voted with 14 dissenting, and therefore stands the chance for another round of voting within 10 days.
Under the Local Government law on the approval of a nominee for the position of a District Chief Executive, the nominee should secure two thirds of the total number of Assembly members present who cast their ballot.
No date was, however, fixed for the next round of ballot within the 10-day period under the law.
At its inauguration on June 18, the 30-member assembly could not elect a presiding member after two keenly contested ballots because the two contestants failed to secure the needed two thirds of votes of members.
During last Friday’s sitting, it took the persuasive instinct of the Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, to convince members to unite and settle on one of the candidates to enable the assembly to settle down for business for the development of the area.
This was after members had again voted twice without any of the candidates getting the required two-thirds majority.
During the first ballot, Mr Bright Lambert Enyan Hackeem, 34, a Social Science graduate of the University of Cape Coast, polled 13 whilst Prince Charles Abbam, a 46-year-old printer, gained 15.
In the second round, Mr Hackeem’s votes dropped to 12 with Prince Abbam receiving 17.
After consultations, Mr Hakeem stepped down for peace and unity to prevail and when the final ballot, supervised by Mr Cerebrum Quaicoe, Deputy Central Regional Electoral Director of the Electoral Commission, conducted the balloting, Prince Abbam was endorsed by 28 votes with only one against.
Nana Ato Arthur commended the members for electing a presiding member, and urged them to close their differences and endorse the DCE whenever they were called upon to do so within the 10-day period.
He reminded members and the presiding member of the challenges ahead of them and advised them to work as a team for the benefit of their people.
The Co-ordinating Director of the assembly, Mr Atta-Ullah Dason, was also introduced to members of the assembly.