The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has finally elected a presiding a member after 10 previous attempts. The Presiding Member elect is Nana Adu Mensah Asare, Amakomhene, who stood unopposed.
He secured 100 yes votes to trump the 22 no votes according to Citi News’ Ashanti Regional correspondent, Lauretta Timah.
Nana Adu Mensah Asare was sworn in by a judge immediately after his election.
The Assembly had been without a Presiding Member for almost a year, and efforts to elect one until now, had been unsuccessful. The nine previous tries had been marred by accusations of partisan interference even escalating into fisticuffs on two occasions.
One election was also postponed because there was no Judge in Kumasi to swear into office the Presiding Member should he have been elected.
Kumasi residents had expressed worry about the assembly’s failure to elect a Presiding Member, describing their current leaders as selfish because the impasse was hindering the development of the area.
But the Public Relations Officer for the KMA, Godwin Okumah Nyame, had indicated to Citi News that if there was no Presiding Member by October 31, it would affect the preparation of composite budget to be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for the preparation of the national budget.
Despite the election of a presiding member, the Kumasi Metropolis is still without a Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) after the resignation of the immediate past MCE, Kojo Bonsu, following pressure from the traditional leaders in Kumasi.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana