MCE FOR SUNYANI MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY COMMISSION`S ACCESS ROADS AT ADJEI ANO NORTH.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Sunyani Hon. Kwasi Oppong Ababio on Wednesday the 1^st of September, 2010 commissioned a 10.7km access roads at Adjei Ano North a suburb of Sunyani. Adjei Ano north which is part of the Penkwasi electoral area in the Sunyani Municipality is a new developing area with very magnificent buildings.

Unfortunately however the area lack social amenities like portable water, street lights, access roads among others. According to the Assembly man of the area Hon. Baffoe Ocrah the lack of access roads in the area made living there very difficult. According to him people had to walk some distance from their houses to the main road from Sunyani to Techiman before they could get the services of Taxis and any time there was a calamity like fire outbreak, fire thunders had difficulty in entering the area. He was therefore full of praise for the MCE and the Assembly for constructing the roads for them.

A unit committee member and the leader of the Adjei Ano north Association Mr. Kasim Adams appealed to the MCE to provide the area with street lights on the new roads, portable water, bridge on the stream between Adjei Ano north and South to make movement between the two areas easy. He also appealed to the MCE to help check the encroachment on lands earmarked for some development projects in the area.

The contractor of the project Mr. M.K Sakyi thanked the inhabitants of the area for their co-operation and help in making the project a reality. Commissioning the project the MCE Hon. Kwasi Oppong Ababio thanked the inhabitants of the area for their immense support to the assembly which has led to the fruition of the project adding “but for your support by buying the fuel needed for the construction of these roads, the assembly alone couldn`t have afforded it at our present financial circumstances”. He continued “Government alone can not do every thing for the people and that is why there is the need for public and private partnership if we can develop as a nation".

He appealed to the rest of the municipality and Ghanaians as a whole to emulate good example of the people of Adjei Ano north for development. Responding to the request by the people the MCE said plans are far advanced to provide every street in Sunyani with street lights and Ajei Ano north is not exempted. On the issue of portable water for the area the he said the assembly will liaise with the Ghana water Company to solve it for them. He continued that now that the assembly has constructed the access roads in the area, the department of urban roads will also better them up even to the level of tarring.

On the encroachment of some lands meant for some specific protects and the need for open spaces, the MCE regretted that in our part of the world unlike others like South Africa, land is used any how without thinking about the future adding “recently I got a Korean who wanted land to build a shopping mall here in Sunyani but I could not get one so he took that important project to Cape coast”.

. “We also needed land to build a new stadium in Sunyani, do you know how I suffered before getting one”?. He finally appealed to all to protect the lands and live in peace. The short ceremony attracted enthusiastic inhabitants of the area, workers of the assembly and some media men and women.

ASSEMBLYMAN SUSPENDED FOR TWO SITTINGS.

The Assembly Man for the Abonsuam electoral area in the Sunyani Municipality Hon. Raphael Cubage was suspended for two (2) sittings of the Assembly at the assembly’s second ordinary meeting which was held on Thursday 26^th of August 2010 for as the presiding member Hon. Otu Essel puts it “Gross disrespect to the presiding member and the assembly as a whole”.

The assemblyman had at the first ordinary meeting of the assembly which was held on the 30^th April this year made some unsubstantiated allegations against the MCE of the assembly Hon. Kwasi Oppong Ababio. His colleagues assembly members pressed that he substantiates his claims this time round because according to them the member had in the past made a lot of such unsubstantiated allegations and had gone scot free.

Hon. Cubagee however refused to substantiate his claims and in the process even walked away from the meeting. This behaviour did not go down well with his colleagues who asked that sanctions preferred against him. In effect therefore the Presiding Member Hon. Otu Essel referred the matter to the public relations and complaints committee of the House of which he (PM) is the chairman to look into it and preferred the appropriate sanctions if found culpable.

At the assembly`s second ordinary meeting on Thursday 26^th of August, the committee read its findings to the general House. According to the report which was read by the Presiding Member, the assemblyman refused to attend upon the committee saying that the committee has no power to investigate him because he (cubagee) had taken the matter to court and any further action by the assembly to sanction him could lead to contempt of the court.

According to the Presiding Member no court has served the committee investigating Hon. Cubagee any summon to appear before it or stop it from investigating him. Rather the member wrote to the MCE warning him to remember the discussions that took place between them at the Samaritan Guest House at Abesim before he (MCE) was endorsed by the assembly and that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. The Presiding member continued that the letter to the MCE could not stop the committee or the assembly from taking action on the matter.

He therefore asked that the whole assembly takes a decision on the matter. He therefore asked Hon. Cubagee to step out for the assembly to deliberate on the matter and take a decision. The Assembly man (Cubagee) in response told the Presiding member categorically that he was not going anywhere because the matter was in court and the assembly had no power to discuss it or take any action on the matter. The argument went back and forth till the presiding member ruled that whether the member was moving out or not the house will take the decision but he (Cubagee) can not contribute to the discussion.

The Assembly members were unanimous that, the member should be punished except Hon. Owusu Boye assembly man for Akuako electoral area who was of the opinion that Hon. Cubagee should not be punished. According to him, Hon. Cubagee had made similar allegations against the former MCE Hon. Kwasi Twumasi Awuah and if he was not punished then, he does not see why now he should be sanctioned. This brought a heated and uncontrollable argument on the floor.

When the Presiding member managed to calm down tempers, he ruled that the Assembly man should dully be punished and asked members to propose the sanctions.

Different sanctions were suggested including indefinite suspension, two sittings suspension and no suspension by Hon. Owusu Boye. When the vote was put the two sittings suspension had it. Because of the back and forth arguments on this matter the House was not able to complete its business for the day and therefore adjourned sitting to the 9^th of September. However, the House was able to discuss the MCE`s address and minutes from the Executive Committee meeting.

QUEEN OF SWAZILAND PAYS COURTESY CALL ON THE OMANHENE OF SUNYANI.

The Queen of Swaziland Her Royal Highness Nomsah E. Matsebula on Thursday the 19th of August, 2010 paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Sunyani Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II at his palace in Sunyani. The courtesy call of the Queen was as part of her two (2) days visit to the Brong Ahafo region. The Queen was accompanied by an eighteen member delegation of His Royal Highness the king of Swaziland to the palace.
They were led to the palace by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Sunyani Hon. Kwasi Oppong Ababio and Heads of Departments at both the Municipal Assembly and the Regional Co-Ordinating Council. Speaking at the palace Her Royal Highness Nomsah E. Matsebula extended the greetings of His Royal Highness the King of Swaziland to the Omanhene of Sunyani and his people. She said her visit was to create friendly ties between the two royals (Sunyani and Swaziland) and cement the unity between her country and Ghana.
She continued that the two countries share so many things in common especially in the area of culture adding “that is why we have to visit each other from time to time to learn about our different cultures. She extended an invitation to the Omanhene of Sunyani to also visit Swaziland to learn about some important cultures and traditions there just like she has come to do in Sunyani.She added that the climax of their festivals falls on 1st December every year and wish the Omanhene of Sunyani will make it to one of such festivals. She ended by saying “your Excellency Nana we will leave Ghana with fond memories especially the hospitality you and your elders accorded us and the rich culture we have witnessed here in your palace.
Responding the Omanhene of Sunyani Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II expressed happiness at the visit of the Queen saying “such visits among us as royals on the African continent are long over due”. He added “there are so many chiefs and Queens on the African continent but such visits among us are rare and that is why I think this visit by Her Royal Highness the Queen of Swaziland is laudable and welcomed”. He continued that Africans are one people and the unity between them must continued.
The Omanhene on behalf of the people of Ghana thanked the King, the Queen and the people of Swaziland for the support they gave to the Ghana Black Stars in the last World cup which was held in South Africa. He finally promised to reciprocate the visit by Her Royal Highness any time he is invited by the King. The short ceremony was very colourful and interesting. Culture was at its best as Nananom were decorated with different kinds of Kente cloths with their royal sandals to match and different types of ornaments all over their bodies. Libation was poured and the Tano krom Agromma danced their hearts out to Kete and Adowa dance all of which portrayed the rich culture of Ghanaians.
The Queen Her Royal Highness presented gifts to the Omanhene of Sunyani and his elders.They included a parcel and cartons of assorted drinks. In return the Queen of Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Yaa Nyamaa also decorated Her Royal Highness and all her entourage with rich Kente cloths.
Security was tight as the police lined up on vantage points of the road to the palace and inside the palace to ensure the security of the queen and her entourage. Her Royal Highness Nomsah E. Matsebula had on the previous night played guest to the Regional Minister Hon. Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo at his Residency where he held the Queen and her entourage to a Luncheon.