Tension is rising in the Oti Region following allegations of the marginalization of Konkombas in the appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
This comes after Konkombas were reportedly excluded from the final list of nominees despite having gone through the vetting process.
Youth groups in the region are threatening action, claiming that the exclusion of Konkombas is a deliberate attempt to prevent them from serving in the John Mahama government.
Gideon Bilinyi, the Nkwanta South Deputy Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), expressed shock that none of the 12 Konkombas who applied for MMDCE positions were shortlisted, even though they met the criteria.
He claimed, “In the recent vetting of MMDCEs for Oti Region, we had three Konkombas from Karachi West, one from Karachi Nchumuru, seven from Nkwanta North, and two from Nkwanta South. All these people never caught the eye of our Regional Chairman, who doubles as Regional Minister, to shortlist a single Konkomba.”
Bilinyi has called on President Mahama to audit the vetting process and its outcomes, urging him to intervene to avoid possible tribal conflict in the region.
He further accused Oti Regional Minister John Kwadwo Gyapong of orchestrating the exclusion of Konkombas, alleging that Gyapong had made divisive comments about the group.
Bilinyi appealed to President Mahama to revoke Gyapong’s appointment, claiming that his actions demonstrated a lack of unity and that he could not lead the region effectively.
The Nkwanta North NDC Constituency Deputy Secretary, Thomas Ntakpayor Dawuni, also expressed the youth’s frustration.
He questioned the Vetting Committee’s decision to bypass the Constituency Executives in the selection process, asking why they were not consulted to choose the best candidate for the MMDCE position.
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