KMA elects Amakomhene as new Presiding Member

The Amakomhene, Nana Adu Mensah Asare has been endorsed as the new Presiding Member (PM) for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).

At an election on Thursday, the sub chief of the Kumasi suburb of Amakom who was the sole candidate polled 100 ‘YES’ votes of the 123 valid votes cast. Twenty two voted ‘NO’ while one ballot was rejected.

It was the seventh meeting and 10th attempt at getting a presiding member..

The 147-member house endorsed the compromised candidate following a pre-election meeting with the Kumasi Traditional Council last Saturday at the instance of the Asatehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to broker peace in the stormy election.

The Amakomhene, a teacher by profession, and two other chiefs, Nana Mensah Bonsu, Asakyrihene, and Nana Kwame Bonsu, Otumfuo’s chief linguist, were sworn in by a high court judge, justice Charles Adjei Wilson, as government appointees to replace Nana Yaw Attah, Bebrehene, Nana Baffour Kesse IV, Adumhene and Nana Kusi Boadum, Domeabrahene.

The two main candidates in the previous election, Abraham Boadi (Opooman), Assemblyman for Nhyiaeso and Michael Adusei Bonsu, Assemblyman for Dadiesoaba, all stepped down to throw their weight behind the Amakomhene.

Nana Asare accepting to preside over meeting s of the KMA said his main aim was to champion development for Kumasi and build on the foundation laid by his predecessors.

He told the excited house, “I will be a PM for all and not for a particular group of people. I know where I am coming from and I have to do what is expected of me.”

The new PM said the world was not waiting for them and there was the need to speed up to catch up with the rest of the assemblies.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr John Alexander Ackon, called for collaboration with all stakeholders and urged Assembly Members to bury their individual differences for the good of all.

The KMA has been without a PM for one year following entrenched positions by some elected members and government’s appointees.

Long serving and until recently one of the candidates, Nana Kofi Senya and the Adumhene, representing various failed to secure the required two-thirds votes of 98 over the last nine month.

Source: Graphic