Yoggu is Tamale Municipal Chief Executive

After an intriguing pre-confirmation campaign, Mr. Iddrisu Adam Yoggu survived the voting by a whisker to become the new Tamale Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).

He polled 45 out of 67 votes, thereby making the required two-thirds of the votes right on the mark. Adam's ascension to the position of Chief Executive did not come without some sweat.

Before the President nominated him, Adam went through a web of appraisals and stiff challenge by other candidates. But from all indications, his wealth of experience and disposition won him the backing of party stalwarts, hence his nomination by the President.

Having cleared this first hurdle, which was a party decision, Adam was faced with the ever vigilant and resolute Tamale Municipal Assembly (TMA) persons. Indeed there is a tradition, fast in the making, in the Assembly on confirmation procedures.

The Chronicle gathered that it is becoming a norm that a nominee to the Chief Executive position sets up a lobby group of trusted friends and admirers within the Assembly.

The group goes round Assembly persons who are perceived as 'difficult' to seek for their support for the nominee. After the lobbying, an informal meeting is convened at the behest of the Presiding Member (PM).

At the meeting, the nominee is made to sit at a distance, out of earshot, while his person is turned inside out. All the Assembly persons are at liberty to say whatever they know about the nominee - his conduct in public, attitude, successes and failures, his strengths and weaknesses, including his foible. Someone takes note of all that is said about the nominee, after which he is ushered in, to face the Assembly persons' observations. He is given the opportunity to respond.

While he is doing so, they make justice to the food and drinks he offers for the occasion. Later, he is cautioned and assured of the Assembly's support.

Adam, reportedly, failed to set up a lobby team and rather chose to go round the Assembly persons all by himself. It was when some Assembly persons found out that he may find it tough to get the nod that they went to his rescue.

Eventually, Adam went to face the informal meeting of the Assembly on Thursday, January 17. As usual, the Assembly persons lay bare before him, their observations about him. One Assembly person told me:

"He was told about how his predecessor, Prince Imoro Andani (now the Northern Regional Minister) had spoken convincingly during his turn only to behave like a tin god when he became the Chief Executive." But Adam was said to have disabused the minds of the Assembly persons of any such behaviour and they agreed to support him.

The confirmation day was fixed for January 23. Fearing that the date was too far and could allow some members to change their minds, it was changed to Saturday, January 19. This fear was founded when Adam's lobby group got wind that a group among the Assembly persons had planned to scuttle Adam's confirmation by canvassing for votes against him.

This renegade group were said to be NDC members who were not happy with the government's decision on the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Non-Formal Education Department (NFED). So by 10:00 pm on Friday, January 18, Adam's team was in motion, countering the NDC group's purported sabotage, which included some NPP members who did not support Adam's nomination.

Consequently, on Saturday, Adam, then aware of the intrigues surrounding his confirmation bid, entered the venue, GNAT Hall, bathed in cold sweat.

When the votes were counted, he managed to keep his head above water by hitting exactly the required two-thirds, no more no less.

He got 45 out of 67 votes. Adam, who had already prepared his confirmation speech, sighed with relief and declared: "I must confess that I am really overwhelmed by your magnanimity. I want to thank you and indeed pay tribute to this august Assembly for the spirit of unity and purposefulness that has been given practical expression in the votes cast for me."

He continued: "Whether NPP, NDC, CPP, PNC and what not, we are all in the same boat and stand to swim or sink together. Therefore, even if you do not like the crew, do not attempt to capsize the boat because we shall all sink.

Rather let us co-operate and swim together to safety." Adam, an educationist, said his immediate priority is to accelerate revenue mobilization and organize youth and women into groups for them to benefit from the Emergency Social Relief Fund. The Supervising High Court Judge of Tamale, Justice Richard Aninakwa, swore Adam in as Chief Executive.