Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly inauguration postponed indefinitely: Ghanatoday.net

By
Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Jan 24, GNA –
The inauguration of the Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly has been postponed
indefinitely due to protest from some residents over the number of 30 per cent
Government appointees.

The inauguration was
called off after, the leader of the Government’s delegation, Professor Kwabena
Frimpong-Boateng, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation
met opinion and religious leaders in the Municipality.

Act 242 (D) of the
1992 Constitution requires that 30 per cent of Assembly Members be appointed by
the Government.

Mr Nii-Armah
Ashitey, the Coordinating Director of the Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly, who
announced the postponement of the inauguration, said the membership of the
Municipal Assembly was made up of 11 elected Assembly Members, the Municipal
Chief Executive and the Member of Parliament for the area; which brings the
total number to 13.

He said the formula
being used for the calculation of the 30 per cent Government appointees in the
Assembly, was 30 divide by 70 multiplied by the total number of the assembly
membership.

He said per their
calculation, 30 divided by 70 multiplied by 13 gives 5.57, which was equal to
six.

He said on the eve
of the inauguration, the Municipal Assembly received a letter from the Great
Accra Regional Coordinating Council nominating the six Government appointees to
the Assembly.

He noted that prior
to the inauguration, they also received a letter from some residents of the
Municipality addressed to the Regional Coordinating Council expressing concern
over the issue of the Government appointees.

Mr Ashitey said
following the postponement of the inauguration, they would be writing formally
to the Regional Coordinating Council on the way forward.

Alhaji Khalid Nuhu,
the Assembly Member elect for Nima 441, speaking to the Ghana News Agency, on
his part noted that 30 per cent of 13 Assembly Members, would rather be four
and not six.

He said, he would be
contacting his legal adviser on the issue.

Presented at the
aborted inauguration was Hajia Salma S. M. Adams-Kuta, Municipal Chief
Executive, Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly.

GNA