Dismissed Municipal Chief Executive for Offinso South in the Ashanti Region, Victor Amponsah, says he is grateful to President John Mills for giving him an opportunity to serve in his Better Ghana government. He says the experience of his office has placed him in a better position to serve the ruling National Democratic Congress in any capacity in future. Mr. Amponsah had been on suspension for the three months preceding his dismissal. He had been sanctioned for travelling to the United States last year without approval from the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council. In his first public reaction to his dismissal, Mr. Amponsah tells Nhyira FM he was not surprised at the development since the president has the prerogative to appoint and disappointment. Mr. Amponsah is full of praise and gratitude to President Mills for reposing confidence in him and the opportunity to serve in his government. "Let me take this opportunity to thank the President for the period that he allowed me to serve my people, Offinsoman and Ghana as a whole. You know it is not everybody that gets the opportunity to serve his people. The trust that he had in me in offering me that job I can say, I thank him very much and may God bless him so that the Better Ghana agenda will become achievable", he said. Mr. Amponsah attracted media attention when the Local Government Ministry per the advise of the then Regional Minister Kofi Opoku-Manu, suspended him. His crime was that he had led some students of the Executive MBA course at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology on an educational tour. Mr. Amponsah believes he has left a legacy for the people of Offinso. "I have served my time in the sense that it is the president who appointed me and after a certain period, he thinks I should be relieved of the post. Maybe he has a special purpose for me other than serving as a Municipal Chief Executive," he explained. He would fondly be remembered by the people of Offinso for his efforts to clear a refuse dump which had heaped for 30 years, the construction and reshaping of some deplorable roads and school blocks as a result of neglect for years. Mr. Amponsah who sounded so confident, says he is still committed to the NDC, the party that brought him into prominence. "I am very much committed to my party. I will still continue to serve my party in all capacities that he may assign me. I will still continue to serve my people so that in future NDC will grow bigger and greater." The former Offinso South Municipal Chief Executive advised his colleagues who are still serving their people and the nation to be transparent in all their dealings with the party’s foot soldiers that he says are mostly ignorant. "There are so many things they also need to take up. This is in respect of educating some of our party’s foot soldiers or party cadres. I have been in the system, I have got the experience and I have related to them but some of them are ignorant about administrative work or party politics. Now, instead of going round to mobilize more people to come into the party, they want to turn to become administrators. We should also be transparent so that they understand exactly what we are doing as MMDCEs." Mr. Amponsah also advised MMDCEs to publicize the achievements of the government in their respective areas. ‘When you do something and people don’t see it there is no recognition. So I will advise my colleague MCEs and DCEs that they should work with the media so that there is more publicity on what the government has achieved" he said. Story by: Ohemeng Tawiah/Nhyira Fm-Kumasi/Ghana