Credible information reaching The Chronicle indicates that the Metropolitan Chief Executive for Sekondi-Takoradi, Captain (Rtd) Anthony Cudjoe (a.k.a Columbia Burger) has handed over to the regional Minister, Paul Evans Aidoo. The decision follows the refusal of President Mahama not to renew his contract after it expired at the end of last Month.
The Chronicle gathered that the Local Government Minister, Alhaji Collins Dauda, communicated the decision of the president to Captain Cudjoe through a formal letter and ordered him to hand over immediately to the regional minister, which he has done.
The handing over ceremony, according to The Chronicle sources, was secretly done at the Regional Coordinating Council without the knowledge of the media. Mr. Aidoo has since taken over as the acting MCE for the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.
Available records indicate that the former GHAPOHA Football Club boss was appointed on the 4th of March 2011 by the late President Mills and assumed office on 11th of May the same year. It is unclear what might have informed the decision of the President not to renew the four year contract.
The Chronicle, however, gathered from sources within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) that a lot of things would be taken into consideration before the president settles on a candidate to occupy such position.
Among them are the acceptability of the person by the party and the people he is going to serve in the metropolis. In cases where the person had already finished serving the four year tenure of office, the president would look at his performance and determine whether he should re-nominate him or her for confirmation by the assembly.
Captain Cudjoe had already sued this reporter and The Chronicle for reporting that he took per diem to travel to Columbia in South America, but failed to embark upon the trip. The case is pending before a Sekondi High Court.
Meanwhile, The Public Relations Officer of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), Mr. John Laste, confirmed the handing over ceremony to this reporter in a telephone interview, but declined to give further details.
Some NDC followers who spoke to The Chronicle over the sudden departure of the former MCE speculated that Totobi Quakyi and other gurus of the party, who were behind his appointment, appear to have withdrawn their support.
Already, two names have popped up as possible replacement for Captain Cudjoe. They are Mr. Thomas Bismark Brown and Mr. Abey Heart, a two time former parliamentary candidate for the Essikado Ketan Constituency.
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