Reject Darko-Mensah as Western Regional Minister – Group

A group calling itself Good Governance Advocacy Group, Ghana (GGAGG) has reiterated its call on the Appointment Committee of Parliament to reject the appointment of Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah as Western regional minister.

Mr Darko-Mensah has been nominated again by President Nana Akufo-Addo as Western regional minister but GGAGG is kicking against his reappointment.

According to the group, the Takoradi lawmaker has “poor leadership traits”.

They also accuse him of interfering in chieftaincy, militarisation of the 2020 general election and hooliganism.

Addressing the media in Accra on Wednesday, 17 February 2021, GGAGG noted that its prime reason for calling on the appointment committee to reject Mr Darko-Mensah is his “blatant unlawful and wrongful installation of one Benjamin Kesse as Municipal Chief Executive for the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly without rhyme or reason, with much impunity.”

The group explained that “during the execution of this unlawful process, Hon. Darko-Mensah contrary to Section 17 (5) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 – Act 936 and Part 13 (1a) of the Model Standing Orders for MMDAs convened a General Assembly Meeting to confirm the MCE nominee which was supposed to be summoned by the Presiding Member of the Assembly. He further adopted the use of brute force using the Western Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service who serve under him as the head of Regional Security to cruelly and physically prevent twenty-two (22) Elected Assembly Members from entering the Assembly Hall to participate in the confirmation of the MCE which is done by election thereby preventing them from exercising their franchise.”

GGAGG noted that the former regional minister hurriedly, in a period less than an hour swore in the “illegally confirmed MCE after the outcome of the wrongful voting was declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).”

The group said it finds this an affront to Ghana’s democracy since the process of swearing into office an MCE is the sole preserve of the Judiciary and should have been done by a Judge of the circuit court in the municipality.

This alleged conduct by Mr Darko-Mensah, according to GGAGG is in total breach of the Local Governance Act, 2016 – Act 936.

The group claims Mr Darko-Mensah’s leadership as Western regional minister between the period 2017 and 2021 “has been full of abuse of authority, gross disregard for laws, dictatorship, capricious use of discretion, intimidation, violence etc.”

For these reasons, the group is calling on the appointment committee to reject Mr Darko-Mensah’s nomination.