Features
Examining the ‘conduct’ of 2 new DCEs
The Government just released the much awaited list of 260 nominees for the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive positions across the country.
By law, their confirmation by their respective Assemblies will qualify them to assist President Akufo-Addo to govern the country at the local government level.
Mr. Lawrence Edutuah-Asiaw is now the newly installed District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District in the Central Region.
Mr Edutuah-Asiaw delivered an emotional speech after his confirmation at the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District Assembly Hall.
His speech, reportedly touched the hearts of many people in the Assembly Hall, thus, moving some to tears.
He said when his name was announced as the nominated DCE of the area, he heard some people saying: “His mother is a beggar and for that matter, he does not deserve the DCE position.”
He stated; “because of politics people who have no idea about my upbringing, are saying my mother begs for food to feed herself and her children and questioned the basis of my appointment.”
A graduate with a degree in Education, Mr Edutuah-Asiaw said, a lot of people expressed reservations about the sour comments made by such people about his appointment.
According to 29-year-old Edutuah-Asiaw, he was rather inspired by such comments , “because if a beggar’s son can be elevated to such a position, by the grace of God, then truly there is nothing impossible for ‘the living God’.”
He said; “in life, God prepares people to shine lights in your path, and my mother is one shining example of a person who moved all odds to ensure that l received what she was not privileged to have, ” adding that; “that is the essence of humanity.”
Mr Edutuah-Asiaw pledged : “I will not disappoint my mother, myself, the President and the entire District for this honour done me,” stressing; ” I will serve the District with all the energy God has gifted me.”
He expressed his gratitude to all the people who played various roles in nominating and consequently confirming him as the new DCE of the District.
Mr Edutuah-Asiaw was among 22 aspirants in the District who were interviewed for the position of DCE of the area.
Some of the spectators who witnessed his confirmation gathered in small groups after the ceremony; with some whispering intently: “Who Jah bless, no one curse.
“Impossible is not a ring-tone of God; the future is unknown for all humans and it is not only the rich ones who must attract the eyes of God.”
All the 46 members of the Assembly voted “YES” to confirm Edutuah-Asiaw as the new DCE, thus, exceeding the two- thirds legal minimum requirement.
On Friday, October 1, 2021, the President’s nominee for the position of DCE in the Nanumba South District, Mr Issifu Zakaria was also reportedly confirmed by the 40-member District Assembly.
He obtained 28 YES-votes against 12 NO-votes, representing 70 per cent of the required votes to be approved.
Shortly after his confirmation, however, Mr Issifu Zakaria and his supporters allegedly seized the official vehicle of the Assembly which was being occupied by the out-going DCE who witnessed the ceremony.
Reportedly, the outgoing DCE was forced out of the vehicle and his belongings thrown out for the new DCE to take over the vehicle.
Eyewitnesses claimed, the outgoing DCE was left stranded and helpless until a Good Samaritan arranged for a private car to take him home.
It is said that “failure is an orphan” while “success even attracts very distant relatives.” Because the outgoing DCE was not re-nominated by the President, he has suddenly become an orphan while the new DCE is attracting more and more ‘distant relatives’ he hardly knows.
Some of the spectators who witnessed the embarrassing scene reportedly remarked; ” it is unfortunate the new DCE acted the way he did, disgracing the outgoing DCE who attended the ceremony to help confirm him as his successor.
“The new DCE acted without regard to formal ways of doing things. Is the vehicle not supposed to be handed over officially to him?
“If the seizure of the vehicle is an aspect of Mr Zakaria’s leadership style, then Nanumba South District will soon be plunged into chaos.
“Is it not the same Zakaria who led demonstrations in the aftermath of the NPP 2020 parliamentary primaries at Wulensi, leading to destruction of the party’s office and the party’s pick-up vehicle; because his preferred candidate failed to win the primaries? “
Wikipedia defines ‘conduct’ as the manner of guiding or carrying oneself; personal deportment; mode of action and mode of behaviour. In effect, ‘conduct’ means a person’s behaviour, especially from the standpoint of morality and ethics.
Readers, from the foregoing, while the ‘conduct’ of Edutuah-Asiaw deserves commendation, the ‘conduct’ of Issifu Zakaria must be immediately and urgently investigated by the government.
It is by proper and thorough investigation that the truth of the matter will be established.
And if found culpable, this column strongly recommends that Mr. Zakaria must be severely sanctioned to serve as deterrent to other new DCEs who are cast in his “terrible mould.”
Contact email / WhatsApp of the author :
asmahfrankg@gmail.com ( 0505556179)
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The driver stopped the vehicle at the gate of the large, fenced property along the Nsawam Highway, and Kakraba stepped out to meet the several workers who had gathered to wait for him.
He greeted them and went straight to the point.
“Gentlemen, I am glad to see that you have almost completed the clearing of the land. I’m happy to report that we have concluded all arrangements with Nana Serebour, and construction of the palace will start in a few days.
“I will need you to go and level the ground, and then come back to start this project. Some workers from a construction company will come and join us.
“My plan is to build twenty houses in four months. Then we will do twenty more until we reach two hundred.
“I am relying on you to help me deliver good-quality work to satisfy our clients and, as I have already indicated to you, I will reward you for your work.”
After an hour’s discussion, he closed the meeting and moved to drive away. Wofa Yaw drew closer.
“Director, can you please spare me five minutes? I would like to discuss a small issue.”
“Why, Wofa Yaw? Your wife has threatened to leave you?”
“No, Director. My wife will never leave me. This concerns a young niece of mine.”
“I hope it’s something I can help with. Please sit in the car and let me hear you.”
“Boss, my niece, Beesiwa, is a polytechnic graduate, very beautiful and with very good character.
“Unfortunately, her parents virtually forced her into a relationship with an idiot based in the US, which affected her badly. She has now recovered from that experience and, Boss, I am respectfully asking if you would find a job for her.
“I promise you that you will never regret it.”
“Well, Wofa Yaw, let me meet her and speak with her. I may be able to help, maybe not in the way you expect, but let me meet her.
“I will not be back here for another week, but I will be at the office throughout next week. You can come with her.”
On Monday morning, Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa were seated at the office by nine o’clock. Three young ladies welcomed them warmly, offered them soft drinks and assured them that Kakraba would be there shortly.
They then returned to their desks and sat behind computers with large screens displaying various building designs.
Kakraba walked in and greeted them warmly. After chatting briefly with the three ladies, he ushered Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa into his office.
“Director, this is my niece, Beesiwa. I mentioned her to you when you came to Nsawam.”
“Yes, indeed. Madam Beesiwa, you are very beautiful, just as your uncle said. Wofa Yaw is my colleague.
“We have just started a building project that will take about three to four years. He mentioned that you have a small problem, so I said I would like to meet you and see how I can help.
“So, Beesiwa, please tell me a little about yourself.”
Beesiwa described her childhood, her school experience, her brief work at the bank and the nasty episode with Sammy Abrokwa, which shattered her peaceful life. She also explained how she had been recovering from the experience.
“I am really sorry to hear this,” Kakraba said. “Now, here is what we are going to do.
“We are a small but very busy company. The three ladies out there spend most of the day on site and come back to report on their work in the morning.
“I have three main projects. The big one is an estate project in Nsawam, where your uncle is one of my main colleagues. I need a personal assistant who can take care of my activities, especially when I am not in town.
“Now, we will have to start with trust. Based on what I know about Wofa Yaw, and based on what you yourself have told me, I think we can start on a sound basis.
“So, Wofa Yaw will take you to my home. You can move into one of the four guest rooms.”
“Sir, I have taken some computer lessons, and I have even done graphics and web design,” Beesiwa said.
“Fantastic! I will give you a good phone and a laptop. I will also arrange computer lessons for you.”
“Now, Wofa Yaw, take her home. My sister, Kuukuwa, will meet you and show you around, and then you can return to Koforidua.
“When would you like to start work?”
“Sir, I would like to start today, but I would need to go and bring my things.”
“No problem. Take a taxi to my house, meet my sister, and let me know what you decide.”
Later that day, Kakraba and the three ladies met with some bank officials to conclude the sale of the three buildings at Adabraka.
They closed at five-thirty and, after rewarding the ladies for their hard work, Kakraba got home just after dark.
He was surprised to find Kuukuwa and Beesiwa sitting at the table enjoying supper.
“What’s happening here?” he asked. “Beesiwa, I thought you would return to Koforidua.”
“She changed her mind,” Kuukuwa said. “We went to the mall and bought a few things for her. Then we came back to cook. She has made some nice changes to your bedroom and cooked a couple of interesting dishes. Sit down; we will serve you.”
“Well, I certainly can’t refuse that. It’s been a busy day.
“So, what’s the plan now? Will Beesiwa go to Koforidua tomorrow, gather her things together and come down?”
“No, I will stay here for a while,” Beesiwa replied. “Kuukuwa bought me the things I need, so I may go back next week. I’m ready to start work. What would you like me to start with?”
“Well, you can come to the office tomorrow morning, meet the three girls and get a feel for what we do.
“Since you are living here, at least for now, we can discuss the plans for the next few weeks.
“Sometimes there are gaps when I travel up north. You can take care of things from now. I think the girls would like having someone like you around.”
By Ekow de Heer
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A frequent question following breast surgery is whether human tissue possesses the regenerative capacity to restore an excised organ.
From a strict physiological standpoint, a completely removed breast cannot regrow. Unlike certain organisms that can regenerate complex limbs or organs, adult human tissues—particularly specialised glandular structures—lack the cellular machinery required to rebuild an entire organ after its total surgical removal.
Instead, the body heals the surgical site through processes such as scar tissue formation and re-epithelialisation rather than complete cellular regeneration.
What a mastectomy actually removes
To understand why natural tissue regeneration does not occur, it is important to examine the surgical scope of a mastectomy.
Depending on the type of procedure and the medical reason for surgery, a mastectomy may involve the removal of:
Glandular architecture: The milk-producing lobules and ducts that form the functional core of the mammary gland.
Adipose tissue: The fatty tissue that contributes to breast volume, projection and contour.
Other breast tissue: The extent of tissue removal varies according to the type of mastectomy and the need to achieve appropriate surgical clearance.
Because specialised breast structures are physically removed, the body does not rebuild a complete mammary gland. Instead, healing occurs through tissue repair and scar formation.
Distinguishing residual tissue from “regrowth”
Patients or observers may notice changes in the chest area after surgery, sometimes leading to misconceptions about tissue regeneration.
Skin- and nipple-sparing procedures
Modern breast surgery may preserve the outer skin envelope or, in selected cases, the nipple-areola complex. Small amounts of breast tissue may remain depending on the surgical technique. Any changes in remaining tissue due to hormonal fluctuations represent residual tissue responding to the body, rather than the regrowth of a completely removed breast.
Adipose accumulation
Weight gain after surgery can increase the amount of subcutaneous fat across the chest wall. However, this is part of general body fat distribution and does not represent the regeneration of a mammary gland.
Modern reconstructive pathways
Because a completely removed breast does not naturally regenerate, modern medicine offers reconstructive options aimed at restoring physical symmetry, contour and body image.
The two main approaches are implant-based reconstruction and autologous, or tissue-based, reconstruction.
Implant-based reconstruction
Implant-based reconstruction uses synthetic medical devices, typically filled with silicone gel or saline, to rebuild the breast mound following a mastectomy.
The two-stage process: This approach may begin with the placement of a temporary tissue expander to gradually create space and stretch the surrounding tissues. A later procedure may then be performed to place a permanent implant.
Recovery profile: Implant-based reconstruction generally involves a shorter initial surgery and recovery period compared with procedures that require tissue to be harvested from another part of the body.
Long-term considerations: Breast implants are not lifetime devices and require ongoing medical monitoring. Some patients may need additional procedures over time because of complications or changes in the implant or surrounding tissue.
Autologous or tissue-based reconstruction
Autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own living tissue to create a new breast mound. Tissue may be transferred from another part of the body, commonly the lower abdomen, using procedures such as a DIEP flap.
Natural look and feel: Because the reconstruction uses living tissue, it can provide a natural warmth, texture and softness. The tissue may also change with the patient’s body weight over time.
Long-term durability: Once healing is complete, autologous reconstruction can provide a long-lasting result without the need to replace an implant. However, some patients may still require further procedures.
Complex surgery: This option usually involves a longer operation and recovery period. In microsurgical procedures, surgeons may need to reconnect tiny blood vessels to establish blood flow to the transferred tissue.
Direct comparison
When choosing between these two reconstructive pathways, patients and their surgical teams must consider several physical, medical and lifestyle factors.
Surgical burden: Implant surgery is generally less invasive, while flap reconstruction involves surgery at both the chest and the donor site.
Foreign material versus native tissue: Implants involve the use of a medical device, while autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own tissue.
Recovery: The recovery timelines and rehabilitation requirements differ significantly between the two procedures.
Recovery and physical rehabilitation
Recovering from breast reconstruction requires patience, careful pacing and, in some cases, structured physical rehabilitation.
Because implant-based and autologous tissue-flap procedures involve different surgical techniques, their healing timelines and physical therapy milestones can vary considerably.
Understanding these differences is important for patients considering reconstruction, as the choice involves more than restoring physical appearance. It also requires careful consideration of recovery, long-term monitoring, lifestyle and individual medical needs.
Part 2 will examine recovery timelines, physical therapy milestones and other factors patients should consider when choosing between reconstructive options.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
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