Confusion At Sunyani Assembly Poll

THERE was confusion at the ordinary meeting of the Sunyani Municipal Assembly (SMA) on Thursday, which was called to elect a presiding member as some members raised an objection about the number of government appointees.

When all was set for the Electoral Commission to conduct the poll, a section of the assembly members, led by Raphael Cubbagee, opposed the nine government appointees.

Mr Cubagee said since the assembly has 20 elected members, the number of government appointees should be six, constituting the 30 percent, and not nine.

Attempts by the Municipal Chief Executive, Kwame Twumasi Awuah, to explain issues rather led to hot exchanges.

It took the intervention of the General Secretary of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NAGLAG), K. A. Cheremeh, to calm tempers.

He explained the formula that was used in arriving at the figure nine.

He said the full assembly is 100 per cent, out of which seventy per cent of the assemblymen are elected while the remaining 30 are appointed by government.

He said to get the number of government appointees, the percentage of government appointees should be divided by the elected appointees multiplied by 100.

By that calculation, he said, the number of government appointees that should vote to elect the presiding member should be nine and not six as some assembly members contend.

When calm was restored, Kwadwo Amankwah obtained 25 out of the 27 votes to be elected the new presiding member.

Justice Lawrence Ladzagla Mensah, Supervising High Court Judge at Sunyani, swore him in as the PM and advised him to be level-headed and tolerant to maintain the culture of democracy in the assembly.

He should also be God-fearing and respect the high office he has assumed, the judge said.

Mr Amankwaah on his part, called for cooperation from assembly members for fruitful deliberation and consensus building.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Kwame Ampofo Twumasi, said revenue mobilisation for the first quarter of the year was not encouraging, explaining that out of the year’s estimated revenue of GH¢2,185,254, an amount of GH¢453,97 which is about 20.8 per cent has been realised.

He announced that the assembly’s by-laws which were approved in 2006 have finally been gazetted.

These include waste disposal and management, environmental protection, operation of restaurants and entertainment, stray animals, herbal medicine, market, designation of market and noise.