A group calling itself the Asante Defense Force (ADF) has expressed displeasure over the recent nominations for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Ashanti Region, citing that a significant number of the nominees are not of Akan descent or native to the Asante ethnic group.
The ADF in a statement noted that this development deviates from established norms and traditions guiding local governance in Ghana.
“Leadership at the district and municipal levels must be rooted in cultural understanding, trust, and familiarity with local issues,” the group stated.
The group argues that there is “no shortage of qualified, committed, and loyal members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) within the Akan and Asante communities” who are capable of serving in these roles.
The ADF is calling on President John Dramani Mahama to reconsider and revise the appointments, emphasizing that individuals appointed to head the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies in the Ashanti Region should be persons of Akan descent, preferably Asantes, who can represent the interests, identity, and developmental aspirations of the people.
Some of the nominees whose appointments the ADF finds concerning include:
- Ahafo Ano South East: Ibrahim Yamba Nelson Issaka
- Ahafo Ano South West: Abubakar Sedik
- Atwima Nwabiagya North: Mba Zacharia Allenbila
- Bekwai: Salifu Issaka
- Adansi North: Charles Kofi Ogbeh
- Adansi Asokwa: Albert Dakurah
- Adansi Akrofuom: Gariba Mohammed Mustapha
- Obuase East: Adwovu Kofi Williams
- Tafo: Abubakari Sadiq
- Oforikrom: Anwel Sadat Ahmed
- Asokwa: Amo Kemel
- Asokore Mampong: Ben Abdallah Alhassan
- Ejura Sekyedumase: Rafiu Adams Seidu
- Sekyere Afram Plains: Abubakar Issaka
- Sekyere East: Ibrahim Adams
- Bosomtwe: Abdullai Hamidu
- Efigya Kwabre North: Emmanuel Jackson Agumah
The ADF has cautioned Assembly Members in the Ashanti Region to resist voting to confirm these nominees, urging them to stand with their communities and uphold the values and traditions of the people.
Should the government fail to address this concern, the ADF has threatened to stage a peaceful yet determined protest across the region under the banner “Political Fairness For Akans.”
The group also plans to formally communicate its concerns to diplomatic missions in Ghana, highlighting marginalization, cultural insensitivity, and undermining of community trust in local governance.
The ADF emphasized that its appeal is not a call for ethnic division but a firm stand for fairness, respect, and equity in national governance.
“The values and sensitivities of all ethnic groups in Ghana must be treated with equal respect. What is deemed inappropriate in one Region should not be imposed on another,” the group stated.
One Response
Pof. John Bosco I am the founder of Ghana crime Stoppers. I will be home in Ghana in March and would love to have the telephone numbers of ADF.