The Chiefs and Stakeholders of various communities in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality have renewed calls to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to consider nominating a different person as Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) either than the current one Michael AmoahAwuku.
They indicate that if it is the decision of the president to renominate Michael AmoahAwuku as their MCE, then it is best he leaves the municipality without an appointee as they are unable to point to a specific achievement chalked in the last four years he was in office from their Internal generated funds except few non-community centered Common Fund projects.
At a press conference to express their frustrations coupled with abandoned projects, Abuakwa-ApemhaaseGyaasehene, Nana OkyereSefa wondered what crimes they have committed against government to deny them their fair share of the national cake.
“If we had no MCE then it is better than what we have been given as a MCE. We are not seeing any benefits from him as appointee at all. We have not seen any development under his watch wondering if we are not part of the country. They should let us develop the community through our chiefs until we are given MCE who is development-oriented because his conduct smacks of wickedness. We have told him about our plight, but he is indifferent to our plight”, he stressed.
Whereas they believe the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo may have contributed his quota to the development of the area, they accused the MCE in concert with the Member of Parliament (MP) of the area Emmanuel AdjeiAnhwere for deliberately refusing to ensure that they are beneficiaries of government’s generosity.
Broken bridges and robberies
The Chief was incensed those major bridges that lead a number of communities to city centres have been left broken for years making residents prone to robbery attacks among others whiles they are embarking on projects like a day school.
Nana OkyereSefa wondered what their crime has been and each time they approach the MCE, he tells them President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has not released money for the project and there was nothing he could do in extremely disrespectful and arrogant manner sometimes to the surprise of us and his motivation is that we didn’t appoint him is the President.
He warned that the Abuakwa-Apemhaase Traditional Council in particular will not hesitate to take matters into its hands and force authorities to develop the area.
“Robbers always attack us in the evening and at dawn just behind the bridge because cars have to drop us when it gets to the bridge because they can’t cross. And it really poses danger on us and puts fears in us.” Nana revealed.
“Apart from this bridge there is even worst bridge which has taken 11 innocent lives within 3 years. This bridge links Abuakwa Highway to Abuakwa Housing where the President recently cut sod for the construction of Kuffour Estate. Unfortunately, our current MCE always tells us he is waiting for the President meanwhile he is into projects which are not community centered because he does not involve Chiefs in the development. Based on that, we the people of Atwima-Nwabiagya Municipal are begging the President to help us by appointing any other person except Awuku Michael”, angry opinion leaders asserted.
Galamsey
Meanwhile, Michael AmoahAwuku who appears to be seriously losing favour with chiefs and residents of the Atwima-Nwabiagya South, has been fingered for his alleged involvement in illegal mining known popularly as galamsey
He is said to be engaged in the act through his agent identified as Mohammed Yahaya an Assembly member for Ntabanu electoral area who is also a deputy NDC organizer within the municipal.
Illegal mining activities in the area are detrimental to River Mankran, the only source of drinking water in the community and its environs.
Several attempts to report to the MCE of this bad conduct proved futile as members of the community revealed that the MCE is a beneficiary of the said illegal mining activities within the Ntabanu area and has therefore refused to take action against its proliferation.
Victimization of Assembly members
Assemblyman for Sepaase Electoral Area Joseph Aboagye believes the MCE is using his position to victimize persons who are struggling to develop the area.
He disclosed that several projects he initiated including the building of classroom blocks, markets and others never got the needed support from the assembly because he is not in the good books of Michael AmoahAwuku following fallouts from the NPP Presidential and parliamentary primaries in 2012 when the Assemblyman and others were supporting then candidate Akufo-Addo and Hon. Anthony OseiBoakye. Whiles the MCE was supporting Anhwere and other Presidential candidate instead of Nana Akufo-Addo then
“Because the MCE is fighting with me, he has refused to allow projects go to my community thereby denying the people their fair share of the national cake. His argument is that some of the assembly members never supported the person he also supported during the NPP primaries. What worsened the situation is the current MCE race because he knows I am not in support of his second term bid”, he revealed.
According to him, with over 12 years as an assemblyman, he has worked with other MCEs but the current one is incompetent and not fit for the job indicating that he is not the only person who is against his second coming.
“All he did is the ongoing police station being constructed. I helped to construct a market but because I initiated it, he together and the MP are making us suffer just because we supported another candidate during the NPP primaries which is our right”, he stressed.
Mr. Joseph Aboagye explicitly stated that it would be a disaster to maintain Michael AmoahAwuku who has succeeded in creating factions in the hitherto united communities with the common purpose in pursuit of his personal agenda.
Disunity in NPP
In the face of complaints by the chiefs and residents of the area, party people are also holding to him to task that he is not a team player and could hamper the NPP’s electoral fortunes in 2024.
According to the party, he has succeeded in creating sharp divisions among their ranks and this is gradually creating disaffection within the rank and file and was manifested in the 2020 polls with the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo garnering more votes than the parliamentary candidate.
In view of this, they insist that any attempt retain him could spell doom for the electoral fortunes considering the quest of the NPP to ‘break the 8’ which the MCE is against in the pursuit of his selfish interest.
