Joshua Bortey, MCE for Krowor Municipal Assembly
When Krowor Municipal Assembly was carved out of the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly in 2018, the residents said they were hopeful that the Krowor and its satellite communities would experience positive development.
They explained that hitherto, there were beliefs and perception that Ledzokuku benefited from more development projects and activities than Krowor because the Municipal Chief Executives appointed in the past to head the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly were mainly Ledzokuku indigenes.
It is important for the authorities that appoint the Municipal Chief Executive of Krowor to note that the people are unimpressed with the current state of development of the Municipality and that the loss of the New Patriotic Party with a historic margin of almost ten thousand votes could be partly attributed to that.
The research team within the Jubilee House and the National Executive Research team of the party can easily conduct a search to ascertain the facts on the ground to inform their decision for the next appointment, especially if the government and party wishes to win the parliamentary seatback.
A strategic move must be initiated by appointing an MCE who has a clear vision and is generally accepted by the people, can easily win the hearts of the people, accelerate development and overall, win power for NPP come 2024.
It is common knowledge on the ground that the current MCE, Joshua Bortey, was imposed on the people and a master grand scheme was worked out by the former MP and some elements of the National Security in the form of arrests of some assembly members to compel them to give the nod for Joshua Bortey to become the MCE.
I consider that as a real sacrifice of the party's fortunes for the sake of the selfish interest of one person.
Significantly, Joshua Bortey was nominated by the President of Ghana, in July 2018, but due to his dislike by the people of Krowor, it took almost seven months for him to be approved through skirmishes and this created hiatus and delay in development. Whereas other newly-created offices were working, Krowor was at standstill in the system of development. Every day counts.
Joshua finally assumed office but till now, we can't confidently point to any major project or developmental achievement... Yes, we all accept that COVID-19 has caused a major setback in the national programme and budget and decimation in the common fund but it is imperative to indicate that a municipality like Krowor, surrounded by light industrial enclaves like Spintex Road, must be in want of vision. It takes a visionary MCE to spot the opportunities around.
Readers must not view this piece as haters ranting to get Joshua Bortey axed out office for no reason but we should rather look at this objectively that the electorate, opinion leaders, chiefs, traders, party members and others have their say every four years, electing people to make decisions on their behalf. The people expect that the elected would take strategic development decisions, plan the city, provide security, health and education and have bestowed upon the Municipal Assembly the governing mandate to do the hard work of setting policy designed to deliver collective services to the community with the limited or abundant resources provided.
The most pressing development need of the Municipality which was revealed way back in 2010 is a hospital and Nurses' Quaters to serve the Nungua, Spintex and environs. Fortunately, there is a polyclinic in Nungua, which could just be uplifted into a hospital.
Already on paper, there is consistent advice to meet the community leaders to plan and find ways to raise funds and start the project but the advice has fallen on deaf ears.
We don't intend to frustrate government agenda; we rather want the government to succeed, which is why we are asking the research team at the Presidency and the National Executive Research Team of the party to conduct a true, transparent and objective research to ascertain the facts and reality ... This time, we want a leader with a clear vision for Krowor.
After all, mayors across the globe have it as their principal archetype to generally have some influence and informed knowledge of the city’s current and future development, including its success in attracting new investment. They are also likely to influence the form and extent of the urban centre’s physical expansion, so to that context, does Joshua qualify?
It is also on record that he is very much interested in his personal gain than the overall benefit of the community and that is why he awarded all major contracts to himself and cohorts.
The question is, if Honourable Afoley Quaye, who brought Joshua Bortey, has massively been rejected, what makes us think the people will accept her appanage?.
I leave you with this igbo proverb: "A man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot know where he dried his body".
