Mr. Appianin was suspended by the President last Thursday and asked to hand over to the deputy Central Regional Minister, for making some comments considered derogatory following the lynching of the military officer in his district.

The DCE had accused the military officer and his colleagues who were deployed to fight illegal mining in the area, of protecting illegal miners.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BIj1f6hFAhu9ru0GmSJC5aXldrVyE3BG”]But speaking on Citi FM’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday, Clement Apaak, who is a former Presidential staffer, charged the President to sack the DCE as a matter of urgency.

“The president himself has admitted that his comments were distasteful. Every Ghanaian who had heard him quite clearly had raised eyebrows and questions about his comments…I’m calling for the president to dismiss the DCE probably by the end of the day or within an hour; I think he will get a lot of accolades from the people of this country,” he added.

He argued that the DCE’s comments were reckless especially coming from someone who is supposed to be representing the president in the district.

“What really breaks my heart is the reckless comments made by the District Chief Executive. The DCE is actually the president of that district and he then seeks to make comments to the effect that the late Capt. Mahama was there protecting Chinese galamseyers. I just couldn’t believe this. I think that the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces has demonstrated weakness and indecisiveness in this case because there is no reason why this DCE should not have been fired.”

“If these are the types of people who are going to represent the president at the local level then God save this country. It’s simply unbelievable. Is he not aware of government policy; is he not aware of the fight against galamsey? Is he not the head of DISEC? Suddenly he had no clue or idea that the detachment were there to execute a national policy. So for me, I think that it is not too late, I think the DCE deserves the sack. There shouldn’t be any room for suspension because leadership has to be held accountable,” he added.

DCE vacates post
Meanwhile the embattled DCE, Daniel Appianin, has finally vacated his post and handed over to the Deputy Central Regional Minister.

The Deputy Local government Minister, O.B Amoah, confirmed this to Citi News on Friday.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Capt. Mahama’s murder: DCE must be sacked not suspended – Apaak appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The President, through the Ministry of Local Government, directed him to step aside, while investigations continue into the gruesome murder of a military officer, Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama.

Capt. Mahama was lynched by residents of Denkyira-Obuasi on Monday after he was mistaken for an armed robber.

[contextly_sidebar id=”pY9xwxpDA20Zlln9I7WmyNVv8LIOrPgr”]The DCE of the area has since accused the military officer for his the death.

According to him, Capt. Mahama and his colleagues from the 5th Infantry Battalion who were deployed to wage war on illegal mining, were instead protecting illegal miners.

Mr Appianing was however suspended on Thursday after public anger over his comments, but had insisted that he was still at post because there was no official communication about his suspension.

But the Deputy Local government Minister, O.B Amoah, has told Citi News, the DCE has finally left office.

“I spoke with the Regional Minister last night, and he said his deputy was on his way to take over. He had officially spoken and written to the DCE so I expect that this morning if there is any handing over he [DCE] would have done it or been in the process of doing it for the Deputy Regional Minister to take over,” OB Amoah noted.

He added that a report will be forwarded the President as soon as it was ready to enable the President take a definite position on the issue.

“…The President needs a formal report from the Regional Minister and other heads of agencies as soon as it’s ready, [and] if there is any report that the President needs it will be provided to him,” the deputy Local Government Minister said.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Suspended Upper Denkyira West DCE vacates post appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to Amoah Eshia, the new DCE, Daniel Apiannin, ought to have known about the presence of military personnel in his jurisdiction and taken steps to protect them.

Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Amoah Eshia said his successor acted unprofessionally.

Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama of the 5th Infantry Battalion was lynched and burnt at Denkyera-Obuasi on Monday after he was mistaken for an armed robber.

The late military officer was among others deployed to combat illegal mining activities ongoing at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region.

[contextly_sidebar id=”fQ5GJnPA3BHAX3PfJuvImKDAdPCRZUzE”]The former DCE explained that in practice, anytime the soldiers were in town, they usually introduced themselves to the political head [DCE] of the area.

“On the other hand, if for any reason they are unable to do that, the DCE as the political head must look for them in order that they can have a good working relationship. And so in this case, if they did not introduce themselves to the DCE and the DCE did not also look for them, then I will put the blame at the doorstep of the DCE,” he stated.

Mr. Amoah Eshia further accused his successor saying, “I think that there was a certain amount of dereliction of duty on the part of the DCE.”

“It means that he failed woefully to have checked on the soldiers and check on their schedule in order to acquaint and familiarize himself with them,” the former DCE said, adding that Capt. Mahama’s death could have been prevented should his successor had done the needful.

“This death of the late captain was unnecessary and unwarranted. Assuming that he had an indigene accompanying him on his way throughout the jogging, that indigene would have held brief for him when people suspected that he was an armed robber.”

The current DCE, Daniel Apiannin, while speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, complained that Capt. Mahama and his team were in the town to protect illegal miners instead of fighting them.

But the former DCE said that claim is absolutely false.

“Companies and other entities that are for government and others that are not for government undertaking activities in the district have been known to solicit support of state security agencies. I am not talking about illegal mining; I am talking about legal mining. That has been the practice; I know that the Ghana Armed Forces are known to have safeguarded the interest of these companies. There’s nothing untoward with this arrangement.”

“Captain Adam Mahama was not protecting illegal miners in the Upper Denkyira West district, as far as I know. It is not true that the army sent men there to protect small scale miners. For the records, in Denkyira-Obuasi where the incident took place, there is no small scale mining around. Small scale mining in Upper Denkyira takes place in other areas but not Denkyira-Obuasi,” he stressed.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post DCE’s negligence caused Capt. Mahama’s death – Former DCE appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.