The President’s nominee for Juaben Municipality in the Ashanti Region, Alex Sarfo Kantanka, on Monday vent his spleen on the Assembly members in the area demanding the refund of the “bribe” money he allegedly gave them, after being rejected in his second attempt to secure a two-thirds majority of the votes in the assembly.
The disappointed nominee who could not control his emotions at the loss openly attacked the assembly members demanding the money as he rained curses and insults on them.
Out of the 26 votes cast in the presence of the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, the nominee secured 10 Yes as against 15 No votes with one rejected ballot despite all efforts by the NPP Regional executives, and some influential traditional leaders to get him confirmed.
An Assembly member, who doubles as the Welfare Committee Chairman of the assembly, Francis Yeboah Adumasah indicated “as a welfare chairman, it is my responsibility to get the assembly members who came for the assembly meeting their transportation, while going for the transport money from the finance officer the nominee attacked me to refund the money he gave me and so I informed the Ashanti regional minister Simon Osei-Mensah and his police bodyguard”.
He explained that “In our earlier meeting in which the nominee failed to secure the two-thirds majority of the YES votes, he gave money but not today’s election”.
“The money he gave me I used for the work he assigned me to do so what’s his problem”? he questioned.
He described the rejected nominee as a ‘bitter loser’ explaining “you can’t win assembly elections without paying for electorate transportation.”
Earlier before the confirmation, the Member of Parliament for the Atwima-Nwabiagya South, Emmanuel Adjei Anhwere, who stormed the Assembly to monitor the election, was also attacked by the disappointed nominee’s supporters.
However, the timely intervention of the police restored calm to the area.
BY Daniel Bampoe