The latest move by President John Evans Atta Mills to relieve the Minister for Health, Dr Sipa Yankey from his post and replace him with someone from the Upper West Region has incurred the wrath of the chiefs and people of the Western region and his party members in particular. Dr. Sipa Yankey is from the Western region.
The president three days ago nominated former MP for Lawra Nandom and current Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kumbuor to take over from Dr Yankey who is the only Cabinet minister from the Western region.
This the natives believe is a clear disrespect to the people of the region who claim the Mills government has shown by his latest move that he does not give a hoot about the region which gave him substantial votes to become President not to even talk of the vast resources that the region can boast of.
The concerned natives of the region made up of prominent chiefs and leading party functionaries including some constituency and regional executives who spoke to newsmen on conditions of an anonymity but cautioned that if the president fails to show respect to them, they will come out openly and criticize him pointed out that President must live up to his promise to be a father for all.
They argued that even though some people claim Mr Kwasi Ahwoi is from the region, he himself told parliaments Appointments Committee that he is from the Greater Accra, Central and Western regions and therefore cannot be considered as a representative of the region in the Mills government that already has been criticized for lack of performance.
One of the constituency executives asked, How many board chairmen are from the region? We have none. We cannot boast of any Chief Executives and even board members we cannot boast of! How can Prof Mills treat us this way?
The westerners questioned why the region can boast of only two Deputy Ministers apart from its own Regional Minister and his Deputy. They compared a situation where the New Patriotic Party administration had a number of key minister such as Attorney General for Joe Ghartey, Trade for Papa Owusu Ankamah, fisheries for Gladys Asmah as well as Aviation for Joe Badu Ansah not to talk about deputy ministerial positions occupied by Sophia Horner Sam, Angelina Baiden Amissah and Christopher Addai, not to mention the Speaker of Parliament and his deputy who were all from the region.
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