Kofi Ghana on the offensive

... says Act 462 is porous

THE EMBATTLED mayor of Kumasi, Mr. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, who is facing threats of removal from office by a group of 45 assembly members of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), is calling for a serious review of the Local Government Act 462 of 1993.

He explained that the provision regarding the removal of Chief Executives is so porous that it is creating a lot of instability and abuse by people with vested interests.

Jumah, widely known as Kofi Ghana, said the Act should be amended to state specific offences under which an assembly could remove a CEO from office.

This position formed part of proposals he submitted to the National Association of Local Authorities of Government (NALAG) for consideration for the amendment of Act 462 during a workshop in Kumasi last weekend.

The KMA boss said under the present circumstance, a Chief Executive could be removed for the least offence and suggested that charges or the grounds for the action be attached for the study of the CEO when notice is served of a meeting to consider a resolution for the passage of no-confidence vote in a CEO.

The metro chief executive also called for the scrapping of the sub-Metro Councils, as they are the source of conflict in the administration of the metropolis.

Jumah noted that there seems to be a considerable degree of confusion and conflict as to the true and specific functions of assemblies, vis-?-vis their sub-structures and called for the specification of their proper roles.

Citing an example, the MCE said most sub-metros in Kumasi are claiming entitlements to collect all categories of revenues half of which are retained by them.

He said if sub-metros are not directed in law as to specific revenue they can collect, there will still be frictions within the assembly system.

To avoid any future confusion and possible confrontation, Jumah suggested that Act 462 be amended to specify which revenues call for the retention of half the sum by sub-metros.

According to MCE Jumah, if the sub-metros are allowed to collect even category of revenue due the assembly in their areas, the less endowed electoral areas with little economic potentials will suffer unduly, while the main assembly suffers in raising funds for development projects.

He pointed to the Subin sub-metro which alone boasts three lucrative sources of revenue, namely the Kumasi Central market, Adum Commercial Centre and Asafo Market, which is in sharp contrast with the negligible revenue fortunes of the Bantama sub-metro council.

The KMA boss also recommended that assembly members should be remunerated to give of their best.

?With the reduction in the number of assembly members based on the number of town, urban, area and zonal councils, the state should accept to pay them full salary to motivate them to work full time and to be able to shoulder their responsibilities with greater effectieness.?

Jumah also proposed cuts in the size of district assemblies.

He said assemblies should be made up of the representatives of the various town, urban and zonal councils and that if the proposal is accepted the KMA with 87 members, for instance, will become 24, representing 24 town councils to allow for effective administration.

The mayor would also want the Act amended to pave the way for the election of all DCEs to guarantee them a full four-year mandate to execute their programmes.

According to him, the present arrangement which allows for their removal on the least so-called offence by interested parties has made DCEs vulnerable to such threats.