Sekondi Takoradi fails again to elect PM

The Shama and Wassa East District Assemblies have at their second schedule of voting successfully elected their Presiding Members (PM).

The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), however, failed to do same.

Mr Samuel Borlu, a 50-year old businessman and the incumbent PM retained his seat, when he got the nod from the entire 25 member-house of the Shama Assembly.

Mr Stephen Kumah, a head teacher of the TI Ahmadiyya Basic School at Sekyere Adiembra also polled 25 out of the 31 valid votes cast to win the PM seat for the Wassa East Assembly.

Both Mr Borlu and Mr Kumah did not win on a silver platter because they failed to win on the first day of election, after three rounds of voting, to get elected.

On the second day of voting, Mr Francis Biney, a 45-year old teacher withdrew from the race for Mr Borlu, while Mr Stephen Mensah Coffie, who was the incumbent PM for the Wassa East Assembly stepped down for Mr Kumah, respectively.

The elections were conducted by the District Electoral Officers, while Mr Erasmus Addo Narh, the Presiding Magistrate of Shama and Mr Samuel Boabin Quansah, the Magistrate of Wassa East court, swore the assembly members into office.

Both elected PMs pledged to work diligently with the support of the members for accelerated development of their districts.

They each warned the members against negative tendencies that would retard progress.

Mr Isaac Adjei Mensah, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, and Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Western Regional Minister addressed the Wassa East and Shama assemblies respectively, and advised the members to put in their best to ensure the developmental growth of their districts.

For the STMA, the two contestants each failed to obtain the two-thirds of the valid votes cast as required by the standing orders of the assembly to win.

Proceedings were, therefore, adjourned to a later date for the third voting.

The contestants are Mr Yusif Gyamson, the incumbent who polled 38 votes against Mr John Davis’ 32, after the third round of voting on the second day.