Ashaiman mantse, NDC clash …Over who becomes Chief Executive of ASHMA…Over who becomes Chief Executive of ASHMA

The issue as to who becomes the new Municipal Chief Executive of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) has become a bone of contention in the Municipality following claims by both the traditional authority and party executives in the constituency to have their candidates nominated for the position.

At a press conference over a month ago, the executive members of the Ashaiman branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have warned that they would not accept any candidate except the names they have put out for consideration.    

Addressing the press conference at Ashaiman, the Secretary of the party, Mr. Bawa Ibrahim disclosed that the party should not think of attempting to impose anybody on them as the Municipal Chief Executive of the area because they would not take kindly to it.

He indicated that as a party, they would welcome the nomination of any one of the names they have submitted to the party as potential candidates, but would not accept the nomination of anybody outside the names they have submitted.     

“We again appeal that there should not be any imposition of Municipal Chief Executive on the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA). Anyone who would be chosen out of the list we submitted would not be acceptable to Ashaiman, especially the NDC members”, he affirmed.

Also, the Ashaiman Mantse, Nii Tetteh Amui II and his elders have registered their displeasure over the deliberate omission of certain names that they submitted to the Municipality for consideration.

The Ashaiman Mantse has, therefore, filed a petition to the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashittey to rectify the anomaly without delay. The petition, dated March 3, 2009, and signed by the Secretary of the Ashaiman Traditional Council reads as follows: “The attention of the Ashaiman Mantse, Nii Tetteh Amui II has been drawn to the list of names submitted to the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly without due consideration with the Traditional Authority here in Ashaiman.

“The names we submitted include Mr. Emmanuel Narter and Joseph Abo Mensah, but were totally ignored by the party in Ashaiman. “We want to state emphatically that the Local Government Act 462 of 1993, section 5 (1) D has been violated.      “Please arrange to rectify this anomaly without delay so as to quickly create that closeness the Assembly must have with the Traditional Authority”. Indications in the area, therefore, seem not to be very cordial and the earlier the party and the traditional authorities move to the round table and have this sorted out, the better.