NPP stakeholders urge President to remove Mampong MCE

Constituency executive, Council of Elders and Patrons of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Asante Mampong in the Ashanti Region have called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to remove the Asante Mampong Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Thomas Appiah-Kubi, from office.

The petitioners have allege that the MCE has sidelined the entire party members in the constituency in all his activities.

They further alleged that the MCE had stated equivocally that he was not appointed by the constituency and was, therefore, not accountable to them and that  “he goes about bragging that there is nothing we the executive can do to him."

They further claimed that the MCE was preparing himself for the future when “the opportunity to elect Metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCE) becomes a reality.”

These were contained in a petition signed by 16 executive members, five members of the Council of Elders and three patrons of the Asante Mampong Constituency of NPP.

According to the petitioners, ever since he was appointed over a year ago, the MCE's actions and inaction had brought a lot of disaffection among party faithful and supporters in the constituency.

Accusations

The accusations levelled against Mr Appiah-Kubi include lack of respect for party members, allotment of school feeding positions to himself, family and friends; establishment of parallel constituency executive committee and causing the arrest and detention of three party stalwarts, including the current constituency secretary and the Nasara Coordinator.

The MCE is also being indicted for contracts to his friends, cronies and family members and people in opposition parties. He is cited to have awarded over 43 contracts since assuming office, all of which were not transparent.

Mr Appiah-Kubi has, however, rejected the allegations made against him.

In an interview the Daily Graphic, he said all the accusations were part of a scheme to tarnish his hard-won reputation and put a wedge between him and President Akufo-Addo.

He attributed the current misunderstandings in the party in Asante Mampong to the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Mr Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, who he accused of working to have him removed from office.

“The MP has never liked me since my nomination and subsequent endorsement as MCE by the assembly members and he is doing all he can to get me out,” he said.               

He said the MP with his cronies “are rather those who have brought sharp divisions in the party in Asante Mampong.”

Party is supreme

Mr Appiah-Kubi alleged that the MP and his supporters had refused to attend any official functions he had organised and expressed his surprise at the charges that were being levelled against him.

“Those who signed the petition ought to be mindful of the negativity it contains, which could backfire and hurt the party badly,” he said.

For example, he said the assembly concept was non-partisan and it would, therefore, be suicidal to bring party matters onto the floor of the assembly because it was composed of people from other political parties,” he said.

According to Mr Appiah-Kubi, he was appointed by the President to see to it that the municipality was developed in peace and ensure that unity prevailed at all times.

He said a meeting was arranged between him and the constituency executive and council of elders on September 7 this year, during which both administrative and political differences were settled.

He stated that he was, therefore,surprised to hear on local FM stations the following day that the group he had met the previous day had sent a petition to the President for his removal.

"I know the party is supreme and, therefore, it will be unwise on my part to sideline party members. It is rather some people in the party who for their own selfish interest are putting impediments in the way,” he said.

Mr Appiah-Kubi added: "I have good working relations with the assembly members and none of them has found fault with me and the assembly is on course with its programmes”.

He said all contracts awarded went through the tender and procurement processes and so he was at a loss as to how party members who were not assembly members could raise truths and misinformation about him.