The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has suspended one of its members for the Asokwa New Town Electoral Area for assaulting the Deputy Metro Coordinating Director in charge of administration.
Oscar Riches’ suspension comes few months after another Assembly Member for the Krofrom West Electoral Area was suspended for misconduct.
Mr Riches was said to have punched the Assembly’s Deputy Coordinating Director, Karim Abdallah Adams after a misunderstanding ensued between them during a recent meeting.
Background
On November 22, 2017, the Chairman of the Finance and Administration Committee, Kofi Senyah, invited the Deputy Metro Coordinating Director, Karim Abdallah Adams, to answer questions concerning a letter he had addressed to the Administrator of Sub-Metro Council but which had not been copied to the Sub-metro chairmen.
While Mr Senyah insisted that the letter should have been addressed to the sub-metro chairmen as well, Karim Adams said he had been instructed by his superior, the Metro Coordinating Director, hence his actions.
This generated some misunderstanding between the Mr Senyah and Mr Adams with the latter being ordered to leave the conference hall.
Oscar Riches then questioned comments made by Mr. Adams suggesting he would turn down any further invitations from the committee because of his treatment.
In the heat of the misunderstanding, Mr Adams told Oscar Riches that he came to KMA with his certificates causing Mr Riches, wo was angered by the comments, to reportedly punch him in the face.
Resolution
The General Assembly, after receiving a report from the Public Relations and Complaints Committee (PRCC), resolved to suspend the Asokwa New Town Electoral Area member for one year.
After a heated debate whether to suspend the Assembly Member for one year or two years, 37 members eventually voted for him to be handed a three-month suspension, four voted for a six-month suspension with 53 backing a year’s suspension, while seven people abstained.
The Assembly will write a disclaimer to the Asokwa New Town Electoral Area to inform chiefs, opinion leaders and the entire area about their decision.
The Committee also recommended that in the absence of the elected Assembly Member, the adjoining electoral area Assembly Members, Unit Committee and Government Appointees for the area should take charge of his duties for the area.
The committee also recommended that Nana Kofi Senyah should write an undertaking to protect technocrats and any person invited to appear before the Finance and Accounts (F&A) committee and serve as a deterrent to other conveners.
The Committee also recommended that Karim Abdallah Adams should be suspended by Management for two weeks after an official apology is written to the F&A sub-committee for his utterances.
He has however apologized and has been subsequently pardoned by the Assembly.
Presiding Member of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Abraham Boadi said the suspension will serve as a deterrent to other Assembly Members.
“I am saying we are the lawmakers, we are the Assembly, and we make the laws. It’s better we debate constructively. You can debate to any extent, but not to throw your hands at each other,” he said.
Some Assembly Members who spoke to Citi News also welcomed the decision.
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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana
