KMA to the Defence of Kofi Jumah

... He is not that bad after all

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has risen to the defence of its chief Executive, Mr. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, against agitations by Mr. E. Akuamoah-Boateng, a representative of the Ahinsan electoral area, at the Assembly.

Akuamoah-Boateng, who doubles as the chairman of the Asokwa sub-metro council, is calling for the removal of Jumah from office for alleged lack of concrete achievements in his two year stay in office.

He alleges that Jumah influences members of the assembly with money in order to secure their loyalty and support. He also accuses Jumah of disregard for the Local Government Act 462 and the Legislative Instrument 1614, which basically regulates the functions of the sub-structures of the Assembly.

The dissenting assembly member also claims the projects springing up have nothing to do with the metro chief executive.

But the Assembly has stated that it is totally disappointed in Akuamoah-Boateng and his likes for resorting to "plain lies and half truths" to discount the contribution of Jumah to the healthy development of the metropolis.

Countering an allegation that the Assembly has not executed a single project from its internally generated resources, KMA defended it by enumerating the comprehensive renovation of the Kumasi Center for National Culture at the cost of ?250 million, the construction of 240 feet metal footbridge to link Ahinsan and Atonsu, suburbs of Kumasi, and the renovation of a six-classroom block at Emena, among others.

KMA official sources disclosed that the Assembly is spending over ?500 million from its locally generated resources this year on replacement, repairs and procurement for streetlights in Kumasi.

The Assembly explained that physical projects alone did not constitute development and pointed to the funding of procurement of large consignment of office equipment and logistics, maintenance of vehicles and machines, fuel, allowances for Assembly members and staff, which constitute themselves as catalysts for the development process.

Citing an example, the Assembly attested to the payment of a total of ?1 billion as sitting allowances to members over the past two years (2001-2002). It was also disclosed that over ?2 billion from the KMA's locally generated revenue was used for fuel for the waste management and administrative obligations.

"Currently, the Assembly spends an average of ?400 million a month on fuel for the evacuation of refuse in the city" the Chronicle gathered.

The Assembly agreed that even though majority of KMA initiated projects are funded by the European Union (EU), Social Investment Fund (SIF), the District Assembly Common Fund and other donor/government interventions, the input and initiative of the Chief Executive could not be overlooked.

The assembly argued that Jumah has particularly adopted an aggressive lobbying strategy and forcefully presented the case of Kumasi to every influential person (government official) at the least opportunity for Kumasi's share of the national cake.

"It is only the ignorant that assumes that projects are always allocated to a district or locality as a matter of course" the Assembly pointed out and explained further " hard lobbying and persuasive presentations are crucial in determining the nature, size and quantum of projects that are allocated to a particular district or town".

The Assembly also pointed to the substantial rise in KMA's share of Common Fund from ?5 billion in 2000 to over ?11 billion in 2003.

On the alleged refusal of Jumah to release a copy of the Assembly's trial balance to the convener of the Finance and Administrative sub committee, the Assembly directed that the document could be sought from the Finance department and that the MCE could not blamed for the non-accessibility.