Tema MCE Throws Lavish Birthday Party

According to them, whilst President John Dramani Mahama is battling with the economy and other problems, Mr. Isaac Ashai Odamtten, Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Tema, prefers to use a purported amount of GH¢20, 000 of public funds to throw a lavish birthday party.

The MCE last Thursday paid deaf ears to an appeal by some 31 assembly members to support them with about GH¢500 each to organise clean up and sensitisation exercises against the cholera menace which has bedevilled the metropolis. The MCE reportedly denied them the money for lack of funds, only to turn around and throw an expensive party on Friday for some staff of the assembly who celebrated their birthdays in July and August.

Interestingly, workers of the Tema sewer have reportedly been agitating over unpaid allowances and unavailability of fuel to travel to various areas to maintain sewers in the metropolis.

As a result, residents who had already paid for sewer maintenance to the assembly had to pay additional money to the workers and fuel their vehicles before their sewers were repaired.

Sadly, this is happening at a time when the metropolis has been hit by cholera. As at August, 2014, 468 suspected cholera cases had been reported at the various health facilities in the metropolis, with 7 persons confirmed dead.

Assembly members are reportedly angry that the MCE would neglect pressing sanitation issues and rather throw an extravagant party. The strictly by invitation birthday bash, which was attended by some senior staff members, assembly members, government appointees, friends and special aides of the MCE, brought work at the assembly to a halt as a greater part of last Friday was used for the said party.

Although the MCE who instituted the ball was unable to attend the birthday party, he was represented by one of his special aides.

Even before the celebration of the said birthdays, DAILY GUIDE was privy to veritable evidence regarding the unnecessary expenditure and mind blowing demands the MCE made.

The alleged colossal amount of money used to foot birthday parties to selected staff of the assembly, and another amount used to sponsor foot soldiers to Hajj, allegedly left most people murmuring at the assembly.

Mr. Odamtten's reason for organising the birthday party was that he wanted to show appreciation to some staff whose hard work and exemplary performance had yielded positive results for the assembly.

However, some of the irate assembly members disclosed that as at June this year, the assembly had not been able to achieve quarter of its yearly revenue target, contrary to claims of the exemplary performance of the TMA staff.

Some assembly members, staff and government appointees who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed shock at the conduct of the MCE.

From Vincent Kubi, Tema