Nana Akwasi Agyeman is hot ? Assembly wants him removed

Kumasi (Ashanti), 28th May 99 --

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has passed a vote of no confidence in Nana Akwasi Agyeman, the Metropolitan Chief Executive and has called for his immediate removal from office.

A resolution signed by 46 out of the 86-member assembly to the President and copied to the press in Kumasi on Thursday accused the Metropolitan Chief Executive among other things of undermining the government's decentralisation programme.

It said, "going by his avowed declaration not to work with the new concept, Nana Akwasi Agyeman over the years has been administering the KMA as he so wishes".

This, the resolution said is evident from the fact that since the inauguration of the assembly in August 1998, its executive committee has never met and so have been the various committees and sub-district structures, which

are to complement the decentralised structures of the new local government system.

Besides, "decisions taken by the assembly are not implemented by the Metropolitan Chief Executive", it added, citing a resolution passed by the assembly in August 1998 to elect chairmen of the four Kumasi Sub-Metropolitan Councils, which has still not been done to support this assertion.

The resolution said since the inception of the present assembly, the KMA has not been able to draw up proper budget and that this has created serious financial problems.

The result is that the Metropolitan Chief Executive has been drawing monies from the development account for recurrent expenditure, adding, "there has not been any preparation of trial balance, no fee fixing and, therefore, revenue mobilisation has become paralysed".

The resolution also touched on what it sees as lack of transparency in the award of contracts, pointing out that the KMA has no tender board.

It stated that the Metropolitan Chief Executive has been awarding contracts to his friends and cronies without prior approval of the assembly.

It was also critical of the issue of numerous unpaid contracts, which invariably undermine the capacity to execute new projects on time.

The resolution further accused Nana Agyeman of misapplying the KMA's share of the Common Fund "to suit his whims and caprices", adding, "there has not yet been any utilisation of its poverty alleviation fund as directed by the government".

Meetings of the assembly have also been irregular and that the Metropolitan Chief Executive conducts and directs most of the official duties from his house, a situation, that has created lapses in the day-to-day administration of the Metropolis.

It was unhappy with what it said is the intimidation of the staff of the KMA with threats of dismissals and transfers and in some instances physical assault on some officials of the assembly.

Vehicles meant for the day-to-day administration of the assembly, have been turned into family vehicles and are permanently parked in his house, the resolution said, pointing out that a green pick-up meant for revenue

mobilisation for example, has been placed at the disposal of his wives and children.

"Mr President, you know too well that management of a city like Kumasi goes far beyond refuse collection. Nana Akwasi Agyeman's profound interest in refuse collection is that, that is the area through which he siphons KMA's resources for his personal riches and aggrandisement".

The resolution said their action is in accordance with the Local Government standing orders for district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies in Ghana, which state "that one-third of the membership of the assembly by a resolution

can call for the removal from office of a chief executive".

GRi?/