A group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Kumasi has threatened to stage a protest against city authorities if they fail to ensure a presiding member is elected for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) in the next 30 days.
According to the group, the continuous absence of a presiding member at the KMA was gradually hindering development in the metropolis.
Assembly members at the KMA have, on four occasions, failed to elect a presiding member for the assembly following an entrenched position taken by the politically divided members.
Addressing a press conference on Monday June 27, convener for the group, Kwabena Senkyire, said: “Nothing seems to work properly and development of Kumasi has turned upside down because of the failure on the part of assembly members to elect a presiding member. We are, therefore, adding our voice to the call for the cessation of the political hostilities by feuding parties and allow peace to prevail in the interest of the development of the city.”
“The Concerned Citizens of Kumasi are sending a strong caution to all the stakeholders that we will no longer sit aloof and allow few individuals, because of their personal interest to drive the development of Kumasi backwards.
“We are hereby giving the assembly a one-month ultimatum – that is by the end of July 2016, to elect a presiding member for Kumasi, failure of which will necessitate serious action from us, the Concerned Citizens of Kumasi. We have outlined a number of actions including staging a mammoth demonstration in the city to vent our spleen on the assembly and its members,” he added.
Mr Senkyire also warned that the group would prevent businesses from paying taxes to the assembly should it fail to meet its deadline.
“We shall also mobilise the business community to resist any attempt by the KMA to collect revenue and taxes from the people,” he further threatened.
According to him, the demonstration will be dubbed 'Yentua’ because without a presiding member, the KMA cannot be referred to as an assembly.
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