TMA suspends Tema West MP

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West, Mr. Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, has been suspended by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) for showing disrespect to the Assembly.

The TMA in a 25 to 9 vote on Wednesday decided to suspend all dealings with the MP for six months over his attempt to obstruct the work of TMA in the demolition of unauthorized structures at Community Two, Tema.

“With respect to the demolition exercise that took place at Community Two, we have suspended the MP, and we are directing the engineering department of TMA to make sure that the people do not come back; that the 'containers' which have been removed remained removed,” said Mr Richard Fiadomor, Presiding Member (PM) of the Assembly.

Mr. Fiadomor also noted that the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) was thereby directed not to transact any business with Mr. Ahenkorah on behalf of the Assembly during the period of his suspension.

Other members of the Assembly who faced disciplinary actions were: Mr Christian Yaw Amoah and Mr. Dennis Amanor Tetteh, for allegedly disrespecting the MCE in their actions when a similar demolition exercise took place at Community One, last month.

Pleading for them, the MP for the Tema East Constituency, Mr. Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, observed the need for the Assembly to set aside the suspensions, and rather forgive the affected persons, “which would be part of the healing process.”

He advised that the Assembly and the MPs should work as a team to help salvage the many challenges that faced the Metropolis.

In response to his plea and that of other Assembly Members, the intended three months’ suspension for the affected Assembly Members was scraped and were asked to render an unqualified apology to the MCE and the Assembly and forfeit their September consolidated allowance.

The Assembly Member for the Kasajan Electoral Area, Ms. Mary Enu expressed worry over the decision of the Assembly to demolish the Community Two structures saying, “I wish this decision could have been reversed but there was nothing I could do about it,” she informed.

She pleaded for dialogue with the squatters for them to understand the issues well, and also prayed for an alternative site to host their businesses adding that “it’s very hard to come by money so for them to get money to put up these structures..., I know it's illegal but they should just see how best to help my electorates."

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr. Fiadomor hinted that the offense of the MP was grave as it bogged on obstructing the work of the Assembly, and that according to the Local Government Act 936 Section 111 it was a criminal matter to obstruct the work of an officer mandated by a Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly in the course of his or her duties.