Onasis Kobby, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer of NDC
•President Akufo-Addo has nominated Kennedy Kankam as MCE for Asokore Mampong
•An Ashanti Regional Executive of the NDC has questioned the appointment by the president
•He believes the candidate’s appointment is misplaced
Onasis Kobby, the Deputy Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress has slammed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over his choice of Municipal Chief Executive for the Asokore Mampong Municipality.
In a Facebook post, Onasis Kobby questioned why someone who was shortlisted for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly would be nominated for a municipality he did not express interest in.
He also wondered why Kennedy Kankam who is the former member of parliament for Nhyiaeso which is falls under a different assembly would be nominated to handle the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly.
“So Nana Addo couldn’t find a suitable MCE for Asokore Mampong municipal /Asawase constituency either than Kennedy Kankam? A former MP for Nhyiaeso constituency and shortlisted candidate for KMA,” his Facebook post reads.
In the Ashanti Region, the biggest story was the nomination of Samuel Pyne as Kumasi Mayor.
Sam Pyne who is the General Secretary of the party in the region is replacing Osei Assibey Antwi who has been moved to the National Service Secretariat as Executive Director.
Hours after his nomination, the assembly members in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly are threatening to boycott his approval if a debt owed by the KMA is not paid by government.
Stephen Ofori, the Presiding Member of the KMA is saying that he will lead his colleagues to reject Sam Pyne if government does pay the debt.
He revealed that the assembly incurred the debt as a result of some projects undertaken during the era of President John Agyekum Kufuor.
“We have some debts that the government has to pay for us and it is not a debt that we are supposed to pay. It was under former President Kufour’s era that he tasked the assembly to take up those projects and promised to bail us on those projects but after he left power and NDC took over, they paid for Accra and Tema and left Kumasi and that debt has been on our neck over the years.”
“So we are saying that if the government does not settle that debt for us, no individual will occupy that seat as Mayor.”
But Sam Pyne whose nomination was made official on Sunday, September 19, 2021 is urging the assembly members not to carry out their threat and exercise patience.
“I will appeal to them to rescind that thought or decision because if the government is unable to settle that debt as they are saying, then you will continue to reject nominees. It is not going to augur well in the development of the assembly. Is it going to augur well for the development of the city? So they need to take a second look at that decision.
“Once I started the process and knowing my capabilities, I knew I would be nominated for that appointment. Apart from being a professional teacher, I am so much knowledgeable in local governance. I have been an assembly member on three occasions,” he said.