DEBRAH RETAINS NDC ER CHAIRMANSHIP SLOT (PAGE 14, DEC 29)

THE Eastern Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Julius Debrah, retained his position when he overwhelmingly disposed of his only challenger, Mr Anane Boateng, at the regional congress.
In what seemed to be block voting, Mr Debrah who first assumed the position in 2005, secured 198 votes against 23 obtained by Mr Boateng at the well-attended congress at Somanya.
The peaceful elections which were conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC) was witnessed by Dr Kwabena Adjei, National Chairman of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary, and other top officials of the NDC.
For the position of vice chairman, Mr Samuel Kwaku Agyei beat four contestants to secure it while Messrs Anthony Gyampo, Bismark Tawiah Boateng, Yaw Adu Gyamfi and M.M. Doh, who before the elections held the respective positions of secretary, organiser, propaganda secretary and deputy regional secretary beat other contestants to retain their positions.
The positions of treasurer, deputy organiser and deputy treasurer went to Faustina Koranteng Addo, Kodwo Adotey and Abdul Aziz Mohamed respectively.
With regard to the post of youth organiser and women organiser, Mr Kwaku Boateng and Madam Evelyn Korang who contested for the respective positions achieved their objective when the ballots were cast in the Afram Plains District some days ago.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Debrah pledged to lead the new executive to win more people to the party’s fold to win additional parliamentary seats and increase the presidential votes in the region at the 2012 polls.
Both Dr Kwabena Adjei who swore the new executive into office and Osabarima Owusu Gyamadu, a member of the Council of State who was present at the gathering, expressed their satisfaction that the event came off peacefully.
Earlier, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, highlighted the achievements of the NDC in the region for the year, and said a lot of infrastructural amenities, especially roads, had either been constructed or rehabilitated.
Mr Ampofo who indicated that more good things were yet to come, said judged by such credible performance, Ghanaians would definitely vote for the retention of the NDC in 2012.