‘Outgone’ DCE gets 100% endorsement after renomination by Akufo-Addo to replace rejected nominee

There were wild jubilations among residents and party faithfuls at Adansi Akrofuom after Assembly members of the district overwhelmingly endorsed the President’s nominee for Chief Executive, Maurice Jonas Woode.

He secured 100 percent of the votes cast with all 17 Assembly members voting for him.

The elections were supervised by the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC), Diana Osei Assibey Frimpong.

Clad in white apparel and New Patriotic Party (NPP) T-shirts, residents thronged the major streets of Akrofuom with drumming and dancing to celebrate Mr Woode’s endorsement as the DCE.

It would be recalled that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo earlier nominated Richard Owusu, who was the Constituency Treasurer, as the District Chief Executive for Adansi Akrofuom.

However, he failed to secure the needed votes to be confirmed DCE in an election held on Friday, October 1. Richard Owusu could only secure 5 out of the 17 votes cast on the day. This represented only 29 percent.

According to the Electoral Officer of the District, since Richard Owusu could not obtain 50 percent plus votes, Assembly members had to reconvene within 10 working days for another election.

To the surprise of many, Maurice Jonas Woode, who was the District Chief Executive, was renominated as per a letter dated Tuesday, October 12, 2021 and signed by the Ashanti Region Minister, Simon Osei Mensah.

Before the elections, there were good will messages from the Municipal Chief Executive for Asante Akyem South, Alexander Frimpong, and the Dean of MMDCEs in Ashanti Region as well as Nana Sarfo Agyeman, the representative of the Adansihene.

They all prayed the Assembly members to overwhelmingly endorse the DCE for the area for a second term.

After his massive endorsement by the Assembly members, Mr Jonas Woode, who could not hide his joy, thanked the President of the Republic of Ghana for the confidence reposed in him.

He said “history has been made in the Ashanti Region today, my comeback is really unprecedented here, I thank you, Mr. President”.

He also thanked the Assembly members for their unflinching support as evidenced in the astounding endorsement for his second term.

He told Assembly members that they have to work hard in unity to justify his re-appointment or re-nomination.

Mr Woode also appealed to all stakeholders in the District to rally behind him to steer the affairs of the District.

“I cannot do this alone. All hands must be on deck as we all work hard to bring development to the people of Akrofuom.”

Maurice Jonas Woode, popularly known as ‘The Commissioner General’, said events surrounding his re-nomination has challenged him to do more for the District.

He said he will not rest on his oars to bring development to the people to justify the confidence reposed in him by the President.

“Currently, contracts have been awarded for road contractors to undertake Asphalt Overlay on the Amansan area through to Odumase to Dampayaw road. Again, the Dampayaw road through to Sikaman to Kojo Nkwanta road will receive massive facelift.”

On electricity, he said the District through his leadership has extended electricity to 15 communities.

He revealed that there are plans to extend electricity to Nkoransa to Mprakyire where there is no electricity.

“We are also working to extend telecom services to areas where there is none.”

The Presiding Member for the Akrofuom District, Peter Amponsah, told the media that they did not endorse the President’s initial nominee because he was not their choice.

“We felt that Honorable Maurice Jonas Woode was not treated fairly after his good works so we deliberately voted against Richard Owusu.”

He said he rallied all the Assembly members together to vote massively for Mr Woode after the President renominated him.

He appealed to the DCE to continue the good works he has done for the District and promised to support him.