Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly fails to elect PM

Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, on Tuesday, failed to elect a Presiding Member (PM), after a second round of voting.

The incumbent, Mr Mohammed Ali, polled 44 of the 73 votes as against 29 votes, polled by his opponent, Mr Prince Armah, in the first round of the elections supervised by the Electoral Commission (EC).

In the second run, Mr Ali and Mr. Armah polled 45 and 28 votes respectively.

The leadership of the Assembly, after consulting with Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, a Member of the Council of State, who inaugurated the assembly on behalf of the President, adjourned proceedings till March 22 this year, to enable the candidates to campaign for fresh elections.

Mr Kobina Annan Prah, Metropolitan Chief Executive, expressed disappointment at the absence of the four members of Parliament in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis at the function, saying that, “MPs are constitutionally members of the assembly”.

Alhaji Iddrisu urged the members “to relegate personal interest to the background” and be committed to raising the living standards of the people, who elected them.

“Work in unity and with a common goal of developing your various electoral areas”, he added.

He said assemblies formed the bedrock of the decentralization process and the better Ghana agenda and called on them to come out with strategies that would help in developing the country as a whole.

Alhaji Iddrisu told them not to demand undue favours from the MMDAs, adding that, “This undermines your work and commitment”.

Nana Titi Apo, 11, Acting President of the Sekondi Traditional Council called on the members not to politicize the assembly concepts.

“Sekondi/Takoradi is a cosmopolitan area and people must live together as one with a common goal to develop this metropolis”, he added.

Source: GNA