Mr Kwesi Oppong-Fosu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, has bemoaned the emphasis Ghanaians place on positions rather than exercising leadership and responsibilities.
“There is too much emphasis on positions. Leadership is about purpose, commitment, passion and responsibility,” he said.
Mr Oppong-Fosu said this at the weekend during an emergency meeting of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to determine whether Mr Romeo Akahoho’s term as the Presiding Member of the Assembly has elapsed.
The emergency assembly meeting was called by the Minister to give directions on a letter written to him by Captain Ben Edmund Duah (Rtd), Assembly Member for the Valco Electoral Area, concerning the position of the presiding member.
A copy of the letter dated November 13, addressed to the Minster read: “Your silence on the matter coupled with the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council’s indecisive attempt at intervening are fuelling more tension and confusion as the Assembly Members of Tema Metropolitan Assembly are left either bitter and angry or confused.”
“The current Presiding Member… Akahoho is insisting on holding office for two years contrary to the provisions of the standing orders and is swearing fire and brimstone at any attempt to unseat him through elections as provided by law.
“Sir, it is against this background that I am still appealing to you, Honorable Minister, to come up with your directive on this matter, taking into consideration your oath to uphold, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana,” the letter said.
Alhaji Ishack Alhassan, Legal advisor for the Ministry, said after considering the issue raised by Capt Duah, the ministry has decided that Mr Akahoho’s term of office has not expired.
Alhaji Alhassan explained that the position of the presiding member became vacant due to the ceding off of Kpone from TMA in 2012 as the then presiding member Mr Teye Okunor, was an assembly member from Kpone and for that matter was not eligible to hold that position after the creation of the Kpone-Katamanso District.
He added that the vacancy was a statutory one, due to a statutory requirement to create the Kpone-Katamanso assembly, therefore, the provision in the standing order which requires a newly elected presiding member to continue the term of his predecessor does not apply to the issue.
According to him, the vacancy was not created because of sickness, death and other reasons stated under the standing order.
He said even though the assembly is a continuous entity, the status of the TMA changed from last year when Kpone was part of the Tema Metropolis, and currently when it has been ceded off.
Capt Duah expressed disappointment at the Ministry’s decision, indicating that “if Hon Akahoho is allowed to continue in office without re-election, it means he will stay in office for more than two years which is clearly a violation of the law”.
He advised members of the TMA to channel their energies into advancing the policies of the Assembly as well as taking responsibility to restore Tema back to its former glory of a harbour city.
“Let us now put all these position issues behind us and move on,” he added.
