District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Amansie South District in the Ashanti Region, William Asante Bediako
District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Amansie South District in the Ashanti Region, William Asante Bediako

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has relieved the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Amansie South District in the Ashanti region, William Asante Bediako and Akuapem North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Dennis Aboagye of their positions.

The decision of the President was made known in a statement by the Ministry of Local Government. The Ministry announced the nomination of new people to take over their positions.

Mr Bediako was in the news recently and reportedly defended operations of illegal miners within his district.

READ ALSO:

In the video, which was reportedly taken at a ceremony to commission a toilet facility at Manso Tontokrom, the DCE expressed his disagreement with activities taken to clamp down on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

“Why would I not support ‘galamsey’? Had it not been for ‘galamsey’, we would not have had a storey building at Manso; had it not been ‘galamsey’ and hardworking nature of the people of Manso, a young person from Manso would not have been able to purchase a car worth one billion Cedis,” he is alleged to have said in the video.

“If people like us are jealous of galamsey activities, I, Bediako, is of the opinion that galamsey is the profession of the people of Manso, and that is our source of livelihood,” the Chronicle newspaper reported the DCE as saying.

The reason for Mr Aboagye, Akuapim North MCE’s dismissal is unclear.

Meanwhile, the president has announced Abdul Mumin Issah, to succeed the late Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi, Anthony K. K. Sam.

Mr Sam died from COVID-19 at the University of Ghana Medical Centre on Friday, June 12, 2020, after contracting COVID-19.