<<Print>>

President John Dramani Mahama has made a turnaround in his decision to retain the embattled Nkwanta North District Chief Executive (DCE), Paul Gyato, in office after six state vehicles were burnt by NDC foot soldiers in protest. Interestingly, the DCE, unlike his colleagues, was ousted with a military escort after he was alleged to be engaged in delaying tactics to hold on to power. The President, according to DAILY GUIDE investigations, revoked the nomination of Mr. Gyato on Friday, August 23, 2013 and subsequently asked him to hand over to the Volta Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo on Wednesday, August 28, 2013. This decision which received a lot of commendation and praise from residents in the district came after an earlier decision to retain him had sparked wild agitations leading to the destruction of state property in the area. As the DCE, Paul Gyato was recovering from the agitations and pondering over how to re-organise himself to continue in his former office even though he failed to pass the vetting process, as his re-nomination was revoked. The news of the dismissal of the DCE was received with jubilation with constituents waiting patiently for his handing over on Wednesday, August 28, 2013. However, on the eve of the handing over, DAILY GUIDE sources claimed rumours were going round in the district that the DCE was reluctant to hand over, saying it was very humiliating for him to do so. Sources at the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council, (VRCC) also hinted that the Regional Co-ordinating Director (RCD), Christopher Mac-B Anyigba, who was to receive the handing over notes on behalf of the Regional Minister, received threatening text messages and calls. Mr. Gyato is also reported to have lamented to the VRCC that the district was unsafe for him to hand over. Interestingly, on the day of handing over, a few of the youth, led by the Constituency Organiser, Wisdom Ahoga Ametefe, who is known to be a close associate of the DCE, held a press conference protesting the expulsion of his boss, Paul Gyato. The group which residents recognised to be some relatives of the DCE from Kechebi in Nkwanta South and his loyalists from Damanko prevented the DCE from attending the handing over ceremony. Mr. Gyato, instead of handing over at the District Assembly as had been the norm, was, however, escorted two days later, Friday, August 30 2013, by the Military from Nkwanta North, which is about four hour�s drive to Ho, the Regional Capital, to hand over to Mr Anyigba. Apparently the ousted DCE had claimed that tension had heightened and the area was unsafe for him to hand over; a claim many said was untrue, but a subtle attempt by Mr. Gyato to hold on to power. With �order from above� as a military detachment at Kpassa said, ��we escorted him to Kadjebi��. Another Military detachment at Kadjebi area took over and escorted the embattled DCE to Ho where he handed over peacefully. The District, which is now without a DCE, is calm and peaceful with many of the residents delighted about the decision of the President. Many of them, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE, noted that the President should have done this earlier, because the DCE was more of a problem than a solution to their plight. The earlier decision to maintain the DCE led to spontaneous uprising by residents, led by National Democratic Congress (NDC) members, which resulted in the burning of five vehicles of the assembly and that of the BNI office as well as the wanton vandalism of other properties. As a result, security was beefed up in the area and 26 persons were arrested, but eight people were prosecuted after rigorous screening. They were later granted bail by a Hohoe Circuit Court after the court had earlier denied them bail. The MP of the Area, John Oti Bless, was sought after by the Police, as well as the constituency secretary, Joseph Wumbei and another executive, Mohammed Gado, who were alleged to be the brains behind the agitations and vandalism.