Some residents within the Ashaiman Municipality for some time now who have been in the news for calling on the the President to replace the incumbent Municipal Chief Executive, Albert Boakye Okyere for failing to deliver the President’s vision says, for Ashaiman to develop, there is the need for a new visionary leader to be appointed to occupy the office of the Municipal Chief Executive.
Some of the residents who spoke in an interview says, the current MCE has not lived up to expectation and are calling for his removal and subsequent replacement with a more affable and team playing personality.
“Mr Okyere since occupying the position has disappointed us and must be kicked out. Ashaiman has become a laughing stock because of our MCE. We had high hopes in him because of the way he carried himself as the first MCE of Ashaiman in 2008 during the former President Kufuor era; but he has really disappointed us in this second appointment.” a resident said.
Mr Okyere who is serving a second term in office as MCE for Ashaiman was the first MCE of Ashaiman after having served under former President Kufuor.
Some NPP supporters within the Ashaiman Municipality says it is high time a new candidate is appointed as the MCE for the area as the current MCE has over stayed his welcome.
“Mr Okyere has had his chance by occupying the MCE position in Ashaiman two times; the time has come for a new candidate to be brought in to continue from where he left off. Ashaiman is not seeing any development as we speak and this underdevelopment is what affected the NPP votes in the last election and we can’t afford to sit and allow one man to keep running the show. He must be shown the exit”. Reginald Pountney said
Meanwhile, names that are making the rounds in the Municipality as possible replacement are Joseph Ofosu Siaw, Alhaji Yakubu Labrran Barry, King Justice Essel and Thomas Adongo.
An NPP poling agent, David Kofi Bazuka for instance, said he believes that King Justice Essel is best fit for the job as he has proven to be an all round candidate who can be heavily relied on.
“King Justice Essel is the best man for the moment; he has been a grassroot party person for several years now. As an administrator, Mr Essel can best manage the Assembly when given the opportunity, so I would be happy to have him appointed. He is one person who cuts across and resonates with the youth and is the people’s man. As a polling station coordinator myself, I believe this is the time such a personality is needed to take over the administration of Ashaiman.”
However, a large number of the constituents including some party executives and polling agents who also spoke in an interview seem to root for one candidate, Joseph Ofosu Siaw.
According to them, Joseph Ofosu Siaw has served the party in several categories and capacities and would be best fit for the job.
Among his achievements, they said Mr Siaw has been a member of the constituency campaign steering committee and has over the years contributed in many ways to better the lot of polling station/collation centre agent facilitators/trainers, management of Agents facilitators, Agents and Agents deployment in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 elections.
They went ahead to say, Mr Siaw was the chairman of the Greater Accra Regional 1st Vice Chairmen Association from 2014-2017. In August 2015, he was the a Regional representative to supervise the Ayawaso Central Constituency Parliamentary primaries. He was later appointed to undertake a survey at Kpone Katamanso Constituency to assess the chances of aspiring Parliamentary candidates during the constituency primaries.
A polling station executive at at the Naa Amui north polling station, Ernestina Asante, on her part mentioned that, ” So far among the several candidates contesting the position of the MCE, Mr Siaw stands tall I must confess. I am a true party person and believe me, Siaw is the best man at the moment for the job. He joined the party as a young boy so many years ago and he has served in so many capacities and deserves the position as our MCE”.
Madam Asante noted,” Mr Siaw is seen as teacher within the Party because he has trained several party people within the constituency”.
A youth activist within the constituency, Robert Sani, told the media, “I have had the privilege of seeing the CV’s of some of the key candidates vying for the chief executive position and I think Siaw’s impressed me. He’s not my friend though but going through the CV’s of the candidates and their contributions to the party, I think in my opinion, Siaw should be given the job.” he noted
Mr Muazu Mohammed, first Nasara chairman in Ashaiman and a one time Parliamentary aspirant likened Mr Siaw to Mohammed Polo and Michael Essien; saying ” Siaw is the Mohammed Polo and Michael Essien of the Ashaiman NPP”.
Mr Muazu noted that ” Ashaiman will surely see massive change and development if Mr Siaw is chosen as our MCE. I joined the party in 1993 and I met Mr Siaw already serving the party together with her late mother who also served the party faithfully before her Denise. So Siaw deserves the position as the MCE. Hard work must indeed be rewarded”.
Several others who spoke, noted that,” it is high time the party rewards loyalty and hardwork.”
A minute section of the constituents and some polling station coordinators who also rooted for the immediate past Parliamentary candidate in 2016 and 2020 election, Alhaji Yakubu Labrran Barry were of the view that, Mr Labaran Barry should be compensated with the MCE position because of his role in the past two general elections.
“Alhaji Yakubu Labrran Barry deserve to be compensated with the position because he has tried for the constituency during the last two major elections.”
However majority of the people expressed their disappointment over the continues stay in office of their Municipal Chief Executive Albert Boakye Okyere.
The residents say they were excited when they saw on social media platforms that all MMDCE’s were supposed to hand over.
The residents say they cannot wait to see their MCE replaced with another.
The residents say, the incumbent MCE has failed them and it is high time a new person is brought in to replace the incumbent MCE who is tagged by many as a failure and a disappointment.
They have thus threatened to hit the street to register their displeasure and disappointment should the MCE is re-appointed.
