A group calling itself the Concerned Youth of the National Democratic Congress in the Nadowli-Kaleo constituency expressed their displeasure over the DCE’s appointment. They accused the former MP for the area, Alban Bagbin, the current Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, of “elite manipulation” of the process by the regional vetting committee in selecting the three shortlisted nominees to the national level ahead of the appointment.
The group further accused Bagbin of adding two names, Mary Haruna and Bartholomew Nanbazing, who were disqualified by the regional vetting committee during the vetting process.
Addressing a press conference in Nadowli on Tuesday, March 11, Mr. Fredrick Kanningen, who read the press statement on behalf of the group, described the development as an attempt by Bagbin to sabotage the shortlisted names and impose his preferred candidate on the constituency executives and youth.
The statement indicated that the move contradicts the provisions of the selection process by the party rules and regulations at the regional vetting committee to shortlist only three persons to the national level. The group claimed that this attempt by Bagbin to undermine the outcome of the regional vetting committee’s shortlisted names – Hon. Timothy Diedeme, Hon. Joseph Dakurah, and Hon. Lampson Adams Justice – will bring disunity and destabilize peace among party members in the constituency.
The group urged the national vetting committee and party executives, including the President of the Republic of Ghana, to address the situation immediately for fairness and transparency regarding the shortlisted names by the regional vetting committee.
The group sent a strong signal to the highest-ranking officials of the party to decline the selfish interest of the individual and go by the earlier shortlisted nominees for peace to prevail in the constituency.
By Romanus Bombe Kyi-Era.
