A member of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Charles Owusu has added his voice to calls on President John Mahama not to reconsider his decision to dismiss District Chief Executive of Ahafo Ano South, Gabriel Barima.
Mr. Gabriel Barima’s reaction to heckles from people in his district took dominated headlines in the nation and beyond.
He was later dismissed by President John Dramani Mahama but the National Executive Council (NEC) of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has pleaded with the President to reinstate him.
According to the NEC led by the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the treatment meted out to the Ahafo Ano South DCE is unfair and so, called on the President to give him a second chance.
But speaking in an interview with Peacefmonline.com, Charles Owusu bemoaned the calls by the NDC General Secretary and sought to find out the rationale behind the calls. In his view, the attitude portrayed by the DCE is reprehensible because he underrated the people of his district.
He explained that as a District Chief Executive, it behoves him to comport himself even at the slightest heckle from his people.
This is because he represents the government and anytime he misconducts himself, he brings the image of the Mahama administration into disrepute, Charles Owusu noted.
To him, Mr. Barima, even as DCE, did nothing to ameliorate the plight of his people and admonished President John Mahama not to reinstate him (Gabriel Barima) but rather find another person competent enough to head the office.
“What has he done? That is extraordinary that we cannot find any person apart from him in the whole district to fit in his shoes…We should be prepared that 2016, we should not allow such an incompetent; a failed government like NDC led by (President) John Dramani Mahama to come back to power.”
He also took a swipe at the General Secretary of the ruling party, saying “it is alleged that the man has even said that he was not appointed by Mahama but he paid money to the General Secretary of the NDC before he was appointed. If that’s true, is that the reason why Asiedu Nketia is fronting his comeback?”