Local Gov’t Minister explains source of "Tweaa" DCE's anger

The District Chief Executive for Ahafo Ano South, Mr Gabriel Barima, whose now popular “tweaa” comment is a household pun, was apparently motivated in his outburst by an incident beforehand.

The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Akwasi Oppong-Fosu says a nurse at the Mankraso Hospital where he uttered the infamous outrage had dismissed the DCE previously while attempting to see a patient on admission, on the grounds that it was not visiting hours.

That aside, he said reports from various stakeholders also spoke of personnel at the hospital being disrespectful.

“I have also had confirmation that that was the attitude of the staff of the hospital and it was visited upon the DCE who is the political head of the district representing the president”.

The minister said it was not right to sack the DCE considering the fact that the DCE was the representative of the President in the district.

He said when the hospital invited the DCE for the end of year get-together, he initially refused to attend, but after several pleas from a delegation to him, he agreed to attend, only to be greeted with the dismissive “tweaa” comment while he addressed the gathering. Gabriel Barima was so infuriated he abandoned the event midstream.

“That was why he was very angry,” he explained.

The Minister gave the explanation when he met with staff of the Gomoa West District Assembly and heads of decentralized department of the facility as part of his working visit to the Central region on Monday.

He was accompanied by the Central Regional Minister, Dr Samuel Sarpong. 

He said though the conduct of the DCE was unacceptable, all public officials must learn to work in harmony to accelerate the development of the communities.

The Local Government Minister said public servants must work to protect the integrity of their office, saying that people were put in public offices basically to serve and ensure that the lot of the people they served improved.

Meanwhile the Presiding Member of the Ajumako Enyan Essiam District Assembly, Mr Kojo Mensah told the minister at another forum to advise public officials to desist from referring to Ghanaians as “ordinary Ghanaians.”

He said referring to them as “ordinary” was unconstitutional.

“In the constitution we have citizens of Ghana. We don’t have extraordinary citizens and ordinary citizens,” he said.

Mr Mensah said the use of “ordinary” to refer to Ghanaians only created needless classes between the masses and the leadership.

The Head of the Local Government Service, Dr Callisitus Mahama explained that the use of “ordinary” by people in leadership was only a political phrase.

 He noted that even though all are citizens, we are not equal. “Some level of deprivation and access to policy making and influence makes some ordinary and the use of ordinary or less privileged is not bad,” he said.