The Volta Regional Minister, Joseph Amenowode, has called on those criticizing the recent dismissals of people from various departments such as NADMO, NYEP, School Feeding Programme, Non-Formal Education and other departments in the region to hold their breaths as they are yet to see more of such dismissals. The Minister said that the dismissals of people perceived to be sympathizers or employed during the regime of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from their various workplaces, thereby denying them of their daily bread, is one of his steps to develop the region. Despite the huge public outcry about the manner in which the current administration is dismissing ordinary persons from their workplaces in the region, Mr. Amenowode said, “the dismissals are necessary for restructuring.” According to Mr. Amenowode, before the region can benefit form the needed development, many of such people would have to be shown the exit because “many of them are not qualified to be there.” He claimed that “some do not even know how to write their names, let alone express themselves in simple English sentences,” and advised those politicizing the dismissals of the workers at those departments to desist from the practice and rather support him. Mr. Amenowode said those who are supposed to occupy those positions are required to have some basic academic qualifications but his investigations allegedly show that majority of the people occupying the positions do not have them. Mr. Amenowode said in the case of some teaching assistants employed under the NYEP, it was sad that they could not even spell their names, and wondered what effect they would have on the pupils. The Minister made these disclosures at Kpeve on Thursday at the confirmation of the District Chief Executive of South Dayi. He pointed out that in the case of some staffers of the National Disaster Management Organization and their District Coordinators, investigation by his outfit reveals that many of them do not even know the names of towns under their various zones, neither do they write their monthly reports; and questioned why they deserved to be there. He alleged that some do not work, yet they received salaries at the end of the month, calling for commendation for sacking them instead of being criticized for an act he thinks would help develop the region. Mr. Amenowode threatened that many NHIS managers would also be sacked soon, adding that apart from some of them not deserving to be employed, others have also misused the scheme’s fund. The Volta Region has in recent times witnessed dismissals of people suspected to be sympathizers or employed during the regime of the NPP from their workplaces. Intimidation, fear and anxiety have become the order of the day for people who have been employed within the past eight years, as they do not know which of them is yet to go while several calls on the Minister to reconsider their dismissals and have mercy on them have fallen on deaf ears. Meanwhile, the Minister has commended assembly members of the South Dayi District for overwhelmingly voting for the President’s nominee, and assured them of the needed development in their prospective electoral areas. He advised members of the district to forget about getting employment in the civil service but should take advantage of the river nearer to them and consider venturing into fishing to earn some income. Mr. Kafui Semanu Bekui, 56, a fish scientist at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, polled 14 out of the 17 votes cast, representing 82.35 per cent. The first Presidential nominee for the post, Mrs. Perpetual Grace Annan, was rejected, with 14 out of the 17 members voting against her; a move that necessitated a second appointment from the President which saw Mr. Bekui becoming the substantive DCE. The newly-elected DCE, in his maiden speech, expressed gratitude to the people for endorsing him, adding that he can only reciprocate their gesture by working with all of them, including the chiefs, to bring the needed development to the area. The confirmation of the South Dayi DCE therefore brings to 16, the total number of districts in the region with substantive DCEs, leaving Biakoye, where there is an injunction on the location of the district capital, and Ketu North, where the DCE nominee has been rejected twice. Source: Daily Guide