Vetting for the position of Metropolitan, Municpal and District Chief Executive has commenced in the Ashanti Region.
Nine persons, including some former Members of Parliament (MPs) are vying for the Chief Executive position of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
Among them are very prominent party individuals and others who are not really aligned to the ruling party. The candidates in the race are as follows:
- Collins Owusu Amankwaa (former MP for Manhyia North)
- Sam Pyne (Ashanti Regional Recretary)
- Osei Assibey Antwi (Incumbent Mayor)
- Ing Nana Attah Poku (Kumasi Metro Urban Roads Director)
- Kennedy Kankam (Former MP for Nhyiaeso)
- Kofi Senya (former presiding member for KMA)
- Thomas Kusi Boafo (CEO of Public Sector Reforms)
- Kofi Owusu Boateng (former secretary Otumfour)
- Kwabena Manu
Out of the nine contestants, 3 are highly tipped to be chosen to lead the metropolis for the next 4 years.
The incumbent Osei Assibey Antwi, Kennedy Kankam and Sam Pyne are the favorites and likely to come up as the first three of which the president of the republic will have to make a choice, even though all 9 contestants have successfully gone through the vetting mill.
For the purpose of clarity and avoidance of ambiguity I will walk readers through the various profiles to project the probability of contestants to win and become the next mayor of Kumasi.
Becoming Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive is peculiar; it differs from all the other assemblies because of the major role Manhyia plays. One must win the hearts of Manhyia, party grassroots and executives and then the goodwill of the people.
- Osei Assibey Antwi
In ascending order, let’s delve from the current mayor of Kumasi and his chances of winning the nod. From all angles, the mayor has one way or the other lost touch with party faithfuls, grassroots and some top officials including the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah.
However, Osei Assibey Antwi is highly tipped because of his deep affiliations with the Chief of Staff, Frema Opare and per his track records for the past 4 years he may retain his seat.
- Sam Pyne
The Ashanti Regional Secretary for the NPP was presented by the party executives as part of moves to repay him for being loyal and bringing the party into power from opposition and subsequently retaining the seat in 2020, so, Mr Pyne, unlike Osei Assibey Antwi has the blessings of party people but his downside has been his relationship with Manhyia, a situation that may highly affect his chances, but all in all Sam Pyne is part of the top 3 among the 9 contestants.
- Kenneddy Kwasi Kankam
Rising through the ranks from constituency secretary through to leading the same Nhyiaeso constituency as the Member of Parliament in 2016 and lost the position in 2020. Kennedy Kwasi Kankam is well known in the party and is loved by even his opponents from the other side of the political coin.
His personal alignment to the Overlord of Ashanti Kingdom, Otumfour Osei Tutu, keeps him above all the pack. Obviously, he is within the top 3, it won’t be a miracle to have him as the KMA boss.
- Ing Nana Attah Poku
He hails from Manhyia and a biological son of the longest serving KMA boss, Nana Akwasi Agyemang of blessed memory. Ing Nana Attah Poku is arguably one of the longest serving engineers to have served as the Metro Urban Roads Director is a obviously a choice of Manhyia but question is, is he an NPP member?
Ing Nana Attah Poku is seriously more aligned to the NDC than NPP although Manhyia will bet his last coin on him. Per the aspirants on the list, though he may fall within the first four, his ascension to the KMA throne will be a herculean task.
- Nana Kofi Senya
He has served under both NPP and NDC as Presiding Member for the Metropolis. He has experience in the local government administration. Nana Kofi Senya may be a choice of the NPP loyals but it will be difficult for him to pull admiration from Manhyia. His chances are hence slim.
- Collins Owusu Amankwaa
He’s loved by the NPP party grassroots. Rising from youth organiser position to Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, he has the backing of Manhyia but has lost touch with most of the party executives and a section of the party faithfuls because he was branded as neglecting his very own after winning the MP slot, hence he was a one-time MP. Collins Owusu Amankwaa doesn’t seem to pull a surprise.
- Thomas Kusi Boafo
He’s a very much endowed in analyzing the economy, monitoring and evaluating output for development. He was very vociferous during the erstwhile administration as he was notable for his consistent criticism on the then government.
Fast forward, he was appointed as the CEO of Public Sector Reforms in 2017. It baffles most people why he will leave such a big portfolio and join the KMA mayor race.
- Kofi Owusu Boateng
He was the secretary to Otumfour, definitely Manhyia will never forsake him but his issue is that he faced consistent opposition when appointed as the Chief Executive of Produce Buying Company (PBC). That alone creates room for people to question his competence and leadership qualities. Aside these defects Mr Boateng is a fantastic gentleman.
- Kwabena Manu
He is really not known therefore there’s not much to say about him, he has some footprints at Afigya Kwabre. It will be entirely a miracle for him to top the list.
Nana Asenso Mensah||Akoma FM|3news.com|Ghana
