KMA is a poor institution - Declares MCE

Kumasi, Feb 7, GNA - Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), has said that the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) was a poor institution and sometimes borrowed money to pay its staff.

He said it was regrettable that over the years the KMA had been portrayed as a rich institution from the way the assembly's money was frivolously spent. Speaking at a forum organised by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the NPP on Thursday, Mr Jumah said ministers of state, party executives and even assembly members had carried the erroneous impression that the KMA was very rich. He said, for instance, whereas the KNUST's budget was 56 billion cedis that of the KMA was seve! n billion cedis. ''In December last year the assembly had to borrow money to pay salaries and allowances of the assembly members.''

''There is serious distortion in the economy that needs to be corrected and not until that is done the woes of the country will not be solved.''

Mr Jumah said the bulk of development of the country would have to come through private enterprise.

''That is why the government is developing the necessary infrastructure like the building of first class roads to ensure easy and free flow of transport to facilitate the fast transaction of business.'' Mr Jumah said the KMA had tackled the rehabilitation of most of the roads in the metropolis and environs within its tight financial constraint and therefore appealed to people to bear with the assembly.

! Mr Andrew Frimpong, Asokwa East C onstituency Secretary of the NPP, briefed them on efforts made to secure some of the poverty alleviation funds for the organised groups in the constituency but the conditions attached to the loans were so stringent that they could not afford.

He, however, told them that Women's World Banking was prepared to give them loans under favourable conditions and asked the groups which had qualified to go to the bank to formalise the agreement.

Some KNUST workers complained about the attitude of some doctors and medical personnel at the KNUST hospital and alleged that they were in league with private laboratories.

''They always refer patients to these private laboratories even though there is a laboratory at the KNUST hospital.''

TESCOM, the students wing of the NPP, chastised the KNUST hospital for discriminating against students an! d that a student died as a result of the failure of the hospital to attend to him.

Mr Kofi Asante, the branch chairman assured the KNUST that the branch was prepared to assist in the development of the metropolis since there were professionals who could offer their services in all areas that the KMA needed.