The government will not shield officials when they put up unsavory conduct however, it will have no other option than to penalise them,”Dan Botwe, the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, has warned.
He explained that such conduct sends wrong signals because it was in the interest of the government that such officials when assigned, do exactly as they have been instructed to do.
Mr Botwe gave the warning following the suspension of Abdul Mumin Issah, the Metropolitan Chief Executive for Sekondi-Takoradi from office by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo following allegations he verbally assaulted a police officer and obstructed him from performing his duty.
During an altercation with a police officer, who stopped him for driving on the shoulders of the road to move past a police snap checkpoint, Mr Issah was heard threatening to transfer the officer to Enchi and also described the police officer as “ugly” and stated he would have beaten him to death “if you had attempted anything silly”.
Mr Botwe pointed out that local government officials are expected to serve the people and the government would not hesitate to punish any such official whose action or inaction brought the name of the government into disrepute.
He indicated that the government would ensure that Metropolitan, MunicipalDistrictChief Executives live up to expectation by frequent interaction with residents, cordial relations with traditional authorities and opinion leaders so as to improve livelihoods and initiate projects to bring progress, growth, development and attract investment.
Mr Issah is confident that he would be exonerated over the altercation with the police officer but Mr Botwe assured that more of such actions would be taken on officials who misconduct themselves. –citinewsroom.com
