Group Kicks Against Samuel Sarpong's Appointment

By Stephen Odoi-Larbi
The nomination of Mr. Samuel Sarpong as the Ashanti Regional Minister has come under public scrutiny with members of the Ashanti Watch, a civil society organization, calling for immediate investigation into his stewardship as the Mayor of Kumasi, before considering his appointment.

The Kumasi-based group has in effect, petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) praying the Commission to investigate the nominee on issues bothering on alleged corruption, mismanagement and abuse of office.

The group has also petitioned the Appointments Committee of Parliament praying the committee to suspends the vetting of the nominee until CHRAJ clears him of any wrong doing during his tenure as the Mayor of the ancient garden city.

'As a new government promising accountability and a better Ghana, it will be a great disservice to the Nation, especially, to the people of Kumasi if the Honourable Samuel Sarpong is vetted while he is under investigation on issues of abuse of office, mismanagement and corruption,' President of the Ashanti Watch, Andrew Kwasi Sarpong, stated in a petition to the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

The group in the petition to CHRAJ sees no reason why huge sums of money have been invested in the collection of garbage and yet the garden city was still engulfed with filth. It also does not understand why the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), under the management of Mr. Sarpong, allowed the construction of stores in all available spaces, leading to congestion in the metropolis, while also failing to adhere to due process of the law in the award of

contracts.
It, therefore, called on CHRAJ to order the KMA and Mr. Sarpong to provide detailed accounts on how much income is generated by the Waste Management Division of the assembly; how much is spent on sanitation in the metropolis monthly; and the total amount of money spent on

sanitation during the tenure of Mr. Sarpong.
Furthermore, it prayed that CHRAJ demand detailed accounts on the number of stores the KMA has constructed as well as monies realized from the sales of those stores; minutes of tender meetings and all relevant contract documents pertaining to such transactions; and how much has

accrued to the KMA from such contracts.
The group also prayed CHRAJ to order the KMA and Mr. Sarpong to provide detailed accounts on all monies if any spent on reconstruction of the central market as well as provide the necessary documents in the award of contracts for the construction of stores at Yaa Akyaa Girls at Bompata, construction of a shopping mall at LLL, the construction of stores at Asafo Neoplan and the construction of a car park opposite the KMA.