"Okumkom" No Longer Interested in Political Appointment

Nana Akwasi Agyemang, known to be the longest serving mayor of Kumasi under various governments, has indicated that he is no longer interested in holding any public office.

For over 23 years, Nana Akwasi Agyemang served under the Supreme Military Council (SMC 1 and 2), the Rawlings-led AFRC, the late Dr. Hilla Limann's PNP, PNDC and the NDC regimes under ex-Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings as the chief executive of the Kumasi City Council, now the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).

Today, the astute politician says, "I am not interested in any political appointment."

The Ashanti royal who is into construction and is also a timber merchant explained his position while granting the paper an interview at his residence, with the claim that he wants to concentrate on his businesses. "I have made enough sacrifices for the people and development of Kumasi and even risked my life maintaining security in the metropolis and it is time I managed my own affairs now."

Reacting to accusations that the recent moves by a section of assembly members of the KMA to oust the chief executive, Mr. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, were masterminded by him, (Nana Agyemang), the former KMA boss emphasized that he had no ambition whatsoever to take up any political appointment.

He said even though people were agitating for his return after a steady comparison of his administration and the current one, he had decided not to. "I cannot continue to be a boy-boy (yes man)."

Nana Akwasi Agyemang, however, reiterated his pledge to support the Kufuor administration to ensure good governance and positive change in the lives of the people.

According to him, he would continue to play his advisory role to effectively keep the government on track and assured that his doors are open to all government functionaries who decide to tap on his rich experience in the running of government machinery at the local level.

The former KMA boss, however, deplored activities of some office holders who loot government coffers and cause financial loss to the state with the intention of making the government unpopular.

He therefore appealed to the government to be vigilant and deal with public office holders whose activities tend to sabotage the efforts of government at revamping the economy for the realization of its policy of positive change