Banda Trad. Council vows to resist attempt by DCE to relocate EC office from Banda Ahenkro

The Banda Traditional Council has warned it will resist any attempt by Banda District Chief Executive, Emmanuel Akoneh to unilateral relocate the District office of the Electoral Commission from the district Capital, Banda Ahenkro to Bwawo centrally to the Executive Instrument (EI) that established the district in 2014.

The executive instrument that established the district stated that all district administrative offices should be built and operated from the district Capital within distance range of the offices.

However, the district executive has unilaterally awarded a contract for construction of a district office of the Electoral Commission without the knowledge of the Coordinating director of the district, the procurement officer and the entire assembly.

The Banda traditional Council upon hearing the development summoned the DCE to the Banda Ahenkro Palace for confirmation of the matter.

Responding to a series of questions from the traditional council, the DCE Mr. Emmanuel Akoneh confirmed a process has been initiated to relocate the district electoral office from Banda Ahenkro the district capital.

He explained” I’m doing this to ensure development is spread across the district. That is the main motive for the relocation” .

The learned traditional council leaders questioned the DCE if he is familiar with the legislative instrument that established the district, however, the DCE responded no and said, he may have to consult the legal department of the Assembly for clarification.

The Chiefs who were provoked by the DCE’s response asked his ulterior motive for the relocation of the EC’s district office but he insisted he intend to share development across the district.

The traditional leaders again ask if the local government minister Dan Botwe, Electoral Commission Chair, Bono regional Minister were in the know of his decision he responded no.

The traditional council warned the DCE from illegal unilateral decisions that could destabilize peace in the district.

Meanwhile, the electoral commission headquarters has denied any knowledge about the attempt by the Banda DCE Emmanuel Akone on relocation of the EC’s district office from the district Capital.

Source at the EC Bono regional headquarters explained, “we are aware that the Government has released money for construction of the Electoral Commission’s district office in Banda Ahenkro for the district. We don’t at the moment have our independent office where we share offices with the National Identification Authority (NIA) in the same building. So if the district is building EC an office it can’t be built outside the district capital.

Meanwhile, EC’s national headquarters has denied sanctioning relocation of the office from Banda Ahenkro, the district office, to any other town.