NDC Chases Out MCE

Some activists of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Evalue-Ajomoro- Gwira constituency of the Western Region have vowed to ensure that the Nzema East Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), James Ata Kakara Baidoo, is removed from office.

Mr. Baidoo was appointed MCE in 2013 to replace Rev James Ackah Cobbinah, who was sacked by President John Mahama after several complaints by the party members that the reverend minister had a bad attitude.

The current MCE is facing a similar fate as some NDC members of in the constituency have expressed disgust about some attitudes of the MCE.

First, it was some irate youth of the party at Axim, the municipal capital, who in the latter part of last year locked and barricaded the constituency NDC office to register their displeasure against the MCE for allegedly withholding funds meant for them after working for the party.

The youth suspected that Mr. James Ata Kakra Baidoo was diverting funds meant for them into the construction of his mansion at Axim.
Recently, the MCE was accused of causing the arrest of a woman and her daughter in the municipality because the daughter refused to accept his
alleged sexual advances.

Now, it is the branch executives of the NDC who are calling on President
John Mahama to, as a matter of urgency, remove the MCE from office.

The executives, numbering over 200, have therefore presented a petition they had signed to the
president urging him to consider the removal from office of the MCE.

They stated in the petition dated January 6, 2015, hat the manner in which the MCE was running the affairs of the municipality had negatively affected the party in the area.

They feared that the alleged attitude of the MCE might subsequently affect the chances of the NDC winning the 2016 general elections.

They stated in the petition - a copy of which is in DAILY GUIDE’S possession that the MCE had been encouraging the operations of illegal mining in
the area.

They alleged that the MCE had also been collecting moneys from illegal miners for his two-storey building which was under construction at Axim.

The petition alleged that the MCE had awarded the contract of the construction of a volley ball pitch for Nsein Senior High School in the municipality to his twin brother who had been parading himself as a contractor.

“The MCE has released part of the lands acquired by his predecessor for Axim Sports Complex to individuals and he is a beneficiary,” the petition alleged.

MCE’s Reaction Reacting to the allegations in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, Mr. James Baidoo denied all the assertions.

“How can I encourage illegal mining, knowing how the president had vehemently spoken against the operations of illegal mining and the devastation it causes to water bodies and farmlands?” he charged.

He added, “It had never crossed my mind to make any attempt to collect money from illegal mining operators for my personal
improvement.”

He told the paper that any project he had embarked on in the area was being financed from his own remuneration as a graduate teacher who had taught for the past 13 years.

When the issue of him releasing lands acquired by the assembly for development projects to his alleged cronies cropped up, the CE said that a committee was set up to investigate the matter.

He disclosed that after the investigations he was exonerated of the alleged malfeasance and that the report of the committee was read to the hearing of the assembly members at the assembly’s last sitting in December last year.

He also refuted the allegation that he had been awarding contracts to his twin brother and that the volley ball pitch project was his own personal project for his Alma mater, Nsein Senior High School.

“I have never disrespected the chiefs in the municipality as had been alleged and I am also in good relationship with the party’s constituency executives,” he added.

On the issue of his alleged sexual advances to a girl in the area, the MCE indicated that the whole issue was a ploy to tarnish his hard earned reputation

Source: Daily Guide