- The South Tongu DCD, Setsoafia Kpenu, skipped a key parliamentary meeting, angering assembly members
- Presiding Member of the assembly, Mensah Kwaku Kudz, blocked an emergency meeting on the issue
- Assembly members say Setsoafia Kpenu ignores projects, and they want him transferred as soon as possible
The South Tongu District Assembly is currently embroiled in a significant internal crisis, as a growing number of assembly members have expressed deep dissatisfaction with the conduct and perceived intransigence of the District Coordinating Director (DCD), Setsoafia Kudjo Kpenu.
Source: Getty Images
The escalating tensions, fueled by Kpenu’s recent refusal to appear before a parliamentary committee and a subsequent failed attempt by assembly members to convene an emergency meeting, paint a troubling picture of governance and accountability challenges in the district.
DCD’s absence sparks parliamentary concern
The crisis traces back to Kpenu’s conspicuous absence during an appearance before the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government and Rural Development on Thursday, September 18, 2024.
His absence reportedly led to the postponement of the annual audit statement, a development that has drawn sharp criticism within the assembly.
On September 19, 2025, 21 concerned assembly members representing more than one-third of the body formally requested an emergency meeting with the Assembly’s Presiding Member (PM), Mensah Kwaku Kudze.
Their memo expressed disappointment with the DCD’s conduct, which they said undermines transparency and accountability in the assembly.
However, in a response dated September 23, 2025, the PM denied the request, citing a lack of legal basis.
He explained that the section of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) invoked by the members does not permit the calling of such a meeting.
Instead, he referred the matter to the Public Relations and Complaints Committee (PRCC) for investigation.
Assembly members voice frustration
The PM’s decision has done little to ease the growing discontent.
Savior Agbeko Lawoe, assembly member for Amedorme Electoral Area, described the DCD’s working relationship with members as poor.
According to Savior, the DCD does not have a good working relationship with assembly members because he has had several bad encounters with a lot of them.
He further revealed that members who previously raised concerns about the DCD’s decisions were threatened with legal action.
Lawoe also criticised the DCD’s inaction on key development issues.
“There are issues, several issues over the years that we want the assembly to solve, but many of them have not been addressed. There are projects we want to undertake, but when you ask, he would say, ‘We are in the process.’ Meanwhile, these have been pending for three to four years. This passiveness is what we are all crying about,” he lamented.
Echoing his sentiments, Seyram Gla, assembly member for Gamenu Electoral Area, described Kpenu as someone who lives in his own world and doesn’t listen to anyone in the assembly.
He added that his transfer is long overdue. At times when he is invited to speak on issues, he doesn’t show up. And when he does, he addresses only some concerns and leaves the rest.
A call for collective action
Assembly members are now looking to the general assembly to take a decisive stance.
“Sacking the DCD will be a collective decision by the general assembly. That is why some of us called for an emergency meeting. We are waiting for the presiding member to call it so we can take a position on this matter,” Lawoe explained.
But the meeting could not be convened, as the presiding member insisted there was no legal basis for it.
The situation underscores the delicate balance of power and the importance of effective working relationships between appointed officials and elected representatives
According to Midorse Mawutor, a local journalist, the ongoing crisis has become a source of embarrassment and a significant impediment to progress in South Tongu, the district from which the North and Central Tongu districts were carved out.
Meanwhile, efforts over several days to get the District Chief Executive (DCE), Victoria Dzeklo, and the DCD, Setsoafia Kpenu, to respond to the concerns have proved futile.
Source: Getty Images
Hawui community endures two months of blackout
The Hawui community was left in darkness for two months after a power outage that affected over 1,000 residents.
Multiple vehicles, including a wheel loader and a tipper truck, became stuck in the mud during efforts to restore power
A repaired transformer later failed again, leaving the community uncertain about when power would return.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
