Assemblymen Punch KMA Boss

THE WOES of beleaguered Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Samuel Sarpong seem far from over, DAILY GUIDE can state. A section of his assembly members have told Mr. Sarpong in the face that Ghana is now practicing a democratic system of governance and not military rule where one can take the law into his own hands as he has been doing of late. The assembly members have cautioned him to immediately shun what they feel are divide and rule tactics, witch hunting and petty squabbling among other vices for his own good. This reminder to Mr. Sarpong was contained in a press release dated June 15, 2011 to which fourteen aggrieved assembly members in Kumasi have appended their signatures. The assembly members are also demanding to know the exact amount used by the KMA for the recent decongestion exercise at Ahodwo Roundabout. �We are prompted, after careful study and thought, to impress upon the Metro Chief Executive to tread cautiously, bearing in mind that we are not in a military era. The citizenry through a referendum in the early 1990s embraced constitutional rule to that of military dictatorship. We also wish to stress that liberty is an inalienable right which the Creator gave to all his creatures so that they might find happiness during their earthly sojourn. Therefore, those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves,� the statement said. Some of the assembly members are Eric Assibey, Kwadaso North, Sarfo Kantanka, Ohwimase, Alex Bediako, Agric and Umaru Il-Yass Djagana, Fante New Town among others. They expressed grave concern about the Mr. Sarpong�s leadership style and asked questions about the nature of the decongestion exercise at Ahodwo Roundabout embarked upon by the KMA boss. The assembly members who say they did not know anything about the supposed decongestion exercise asked whether �the exercise that took place at Ahodwo Roundabout was a continuation of the decongestion exercise or a demolition exercise?� They also asked about the budget approved by the Assembly for the decongestion exercise adding that �transparency and accountability should not be sacrificed on a silver platter.� The assembly members further demanded an open door policy from Mr. Sarpong �where all and sundry are treated with decency, decorum and equality,� saying the assembly should not toy with Kumasi residents whose interests they represent. They also lambasted Mr. Sarpong over his alleged vicious attack on Abraham Boadi aka �Opooman,� Assembly Member of Ridge/Nhyiaeso Electoral Area and equally chastised him for picking up unnecessary issues with Freko FD Company Limited, managers of the Kumasi Kejetia Bus Terminal. The assembly members who seem unimpressed with Mr. Sarpong�s leadership style said another assemblyman, Maxwell Ofosu Boakye had allegedly been assaulted twice in the presence of Mr. Sarpong but surprisingly, the Kumasi Mayor did nothing about it. They told the Kumasi Mayor to concentrate on matters that could effectively transform Kumasi and stop getting involved in trivial matters that are demeaning the image of the assembly and stalling Kumasi�s development.