Akufo-Addo addresses KMA debt saga and threat to reject Sam Pyne as MCE

President Akufo-Addo has told members of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) that their threat to reject the nomination of Sam Payne as the Mayor of Kumasi on the grounds of the nonpayment of the assembly’s debts running into some GH¢50 million is unfounded.

He says the debt which has become a yardstick for the assembly members was not incurred by the nominee and so it would be unfair to hold him to ransom and make him a victim of the past.

Speaking with Kwame Adinkrah in an exclusive interview on Kumasi-based Pure FM monitored by Mynewsgh.com on Monday morning, the President said the debt remains mysterious since its origin and or authenticity has not been verified, stating he is unable to make any commitment to settle it until a thorough investigation has been instituted.

“He is not the one who incurred the debt so I don’t understand the connection; if he was the one then I would bear with them but to make him a victim of the past, I think it is unfair. That is why I have come to plead with the assembly members to confirm him to make way for him to address the issues of the debts.”

He said the Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Decentralization, Dan Botwe has been tasked to take steps to investigate the genesis of the debt and brief government accordingly.

He therefore appealed to the assembly members consider the “popularity of Sam Payne” and the interest of the City of Kumasi to confirm his nominee.

Meanwhile, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly is set to vote on the nomination of Sam Payne as the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Kumasi at the Prempeh Assembly Hall tomorrow morning.

Presiding Member of the KMA and Amakom Assembly Man, Hon. Stephen Ofori who spoke in an interview with Angel News last week insisted that nothing short of written commitment by government to have the assembly’s debts paid would make them vote for Sam Pyne.