The new Sunyani MCE, Antwi Adjei being sworn into office by a Sunyani High Court judge
CONTROVERSIAL ASSEMBLY member of Sunyani Municipal Assembly, Raphael Cubage of Abonsuam Estate Electoral Area stirred drama when members attempted to bend the standing orders of the assembly to confirm the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) nominee, Antwi Adjei.
The Sunyani Assembly, for the past year, has failed to function as a result of the absence of a Presiding Member to oversee decision-making and the development of the municipality.
The 51 members of the assembly, during the confirmation of the MCE nominee, needed to elect a Presiding Member to preside over the confirmation of the position of Municipal Chief Executive.
The Electoral Commission (EC), therefore, announced the sole candidate, Abdul Razack Abdulai, for the position of Presiding Member for voting, but Raphael Cubage jumped to a point of order and said the EC had failed to open the nomination for candidates to file to contest, saying it is against the standing orders of the assembly.
“You have not opened nominations for members to file to contest for the position. Per standing orders, you are supposed to open nominations. So please open nominations as per the law.
“I am an honourable member of the house and an interested party,” he said to the shock of all members, including invited guests and Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboah, who is a lawyer.
The Bono Regional Director of the EC, Asirifi Young Guggisberg, replied, “We do the same thing everywhere we go”. After going back and forth, the EC opened nominations for candidates to pick forms for the election of a Presiding Member (PM). “Now, let’s open nominations; it is not too late. Anybody who wants to stand can pick a nomination form,” the EC stated.
Raphael then picked a nomination form and started filling it, but later went out. The EC director then gave a warning, “by the count of 10, if he doesn’t come, we shall close the nomination.”
After the PM voting, Abdul Razack Abdulai polled 44 out of 45, garnering 86.27% of the votes to become the Presiding Member to preside over the confirmation of the MCE nominee, in accordance with the Local Government Act.
They then proceeded to confirm the MCE nominee, Antwi Adjei, who polled 49 out of 49 votes, thereby getting the hundred percent confirmation of members present during voting.
In his acceptance speech, the new MCE thanked President Mahama for the opportunity to serve the Sunyani Municipality and pledged to work hard to develop the municipality to justify the confidence reposed in him.
The Bono Regional Minister advised the new MCE to humble himself as he seeks the support of Nananom and assembly members in developing the municipality.
FROM Daniel Y. Dayee, Sunyani