Minister takes over KMA

The government of President John Dramani Mahama has assigned the Ashanti Regional Minister, John Alexander Ackon, an additional responsibility of managing the affairs of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).

The minister officially started work as the acting Kumasi mayor on Tuesday, replacing Kojo Bonsu, the out-gone metropolitan chief executive (MCE), who succumbed to pressure by angry Asante chiefs to resign on July 12, this year.

The government’s move would come as a big shock to several National Democratic Congress (NDC) gurus in Kumasi who had reportedly been pulling the strings secretly for the enviable position.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that names of some NDC kingpins in the city were forwarded to the presidency for consideration a few days after Mr Kojo Bonsu had resigned as the Kumasi mayor.

Mr. Ackon assumed his KMA chief executive role on a brighter note as he successfully met and interacted with the various heads of departments and units at the assembly on his first day in office.

The marathon meeting, which lasted for close to three hours, offered the acting mayor the opportunity to know the challenges confronting the various departments and units and how to resolve them.

Mr. Ackon, in his succinct remarks, gave the assurance that he would do everything possible to ensure that the assembly elected a permanent Presiding Member (MP) to expedite its (assembly’s) work.

The acting mayor acknowledged that the inability of the assembly to elect a PM for several months was impacting negatively on the forward march and smooth operations of the assembly and retarding Kumasi’s growth.

Mr. Ackon charged the various departmental and unit heads to be innovative in the discharge of their duties so as to help find lasting solutions to the problems facing the KMA.

He called on all members of the assembly to come on board so that together they could work in an atmosphere of peace to transform Kumasi, promising a transparent administration, which welcomes diverse opinions.

Most of the KMA staff who spoke to the paper on condition of anonymity, said they were highly impressed about the inspirational and thought-provoking speech of the acting MCE.

They therefore promised to offer Mr. Ackon all the needed support.