. Nuamah Donkor now sees red From Dominic Jale, Roving Special Staff Correspondent, Kumasi
THE Controversial Chief Executive of Kumasi Metropolitan assembly (KMA) has struck again after upstaging the popular Ashanti Regional Minister Mr. Kojo Yankah and securing his removal from office.
In the last three weeks, he has now turned his guns on another popular replacement for Honourable Yankah, Mr. Nuamah Donkor, the current Regional Minister, blown away all key top officials within the council, massaged the so-called Group of 46 who passed no confidence votes against him in the local Assembly and effectively colonised the entire city?s levers of government and finance.
An enraged and exasperated Nuamah Donkor last week literally fled Kumasi to Accra to lobby NDC chieftains particularly, The First Lady, from whom both Nuamah Donkor and Akwasi Agyeman draw their support. The two are at loggerheads over the Kejetia project.
Six departmental heads considered to be strict and reluctant to obey every unreasonable order were ordered to proceed on leave since February, this year.
No reasons were assigned to their leave and it is still not clear when they would be asked to report back at their post but Chronicle has learnt that the victims crime was that they have blocked some under hand deals by Akwasi Agyeman.
Chronicle gathered that Mr. Fred Essilfie, the KMA Public Relations Officer. (PRO) who could no longer entertain constant intimidation by the KMA boss left KMA to seek greener pasture late last year.
Major Tandor Rtd who was in charge of the transport section of the KMA had also left under curious circumstances after he was made to stay home for almost six months idling about. Each time the frustrated retired major approached the KMA boss to explain matters to him he was reportedly told ?what was your concern since you were being paid every month what was your problem?.
The major has the fuel allocation schedule, a major area of abuse by Mr. Agyeman.
The Assembly men who were baying for his blood only a few months ago appear to have been silenced and KMA sources confirmed that the leader of this group of 46 assembly men now drives the car which was being used by the City engineer, one of the top officials sent packing by Akwasi Agyeman. He is said to have expressed disquiet and anxieties over the massive prevalence of fuel deals.
It will be recalled that Akwasi Agyeman managed to get the NPP members of the City Council who rose against him in 1996 for example, to vote for him to return as the Metro Chief Executive under very intriguing and suspicious circumstances.
Others firm reports indicate that Mr. Agyeman whose track record in brutalising the poor people of Kumasi including women that he has assaulted sexually is indeed the biggest financial contributor to the New Patriotic Party(NPP).
Shortly after the exit of the PRO and Tandoh, Chronicle learnt that Akwasi Agyeman then intensified his terrorism, attacking his Co-ordinating Director Mr. Essifie Grant, Workshop Manager Mr. Buabeng, The Boss of the Waste Management Department Mr. Danso and the Metropolitan Engineer, Mr Ampomah Mensah at the least opportunity.
Chronicle gathered that the four poor civil servants also sensing danger pointedly refused to react or retaliate to his acts of intimidation and provocation.
When it became clear that the KMA boss was fighting a losing battle, he ordered the four heads of departments to proceed on leave and copied their letters to his power base in Accra , The Ministry of Local Government where the Minister Mr. Kwamena Ahwoi blatantly supported his every violent move.
The letters did not state any reason for their removal neither were charges preferred against them.
?Even if they have committed any offence the best thing to do was to set up a committee to probe them and if the find committee find them to have gone astray then it would recommend ways to deal with them?, a Local Government Officer who obviously refused to be quoted directly told chronicle when reached on phone for his reaction on the issue.
With the absence of these heads of department and his antagonism with Mr. Nuamah-Donkor, Akwasi Agyeman who has a few months to stay in office is the monarch of all he survey in Kumasi where even the Police men kow tow him.
The KMA is being ran on a budget Fixing system under which every district assembly is supposed to submit an approved budget and fees fixing to the Local Government Ministry.
Present there is no legal backing all the ground rent and other taxes that KMA has been collecting in Kumasi since they have no fees fixing system in place.
The avenues for further abuse are virtually limitless and the World Bank which is pushing the Kejetia market/bridge project is reportedly even being undermined by Mr. Agyeman.
