Tema, July 23, GNA – The appointment of Metropolitan Chief Executive for the Tema Metropolitan Assembly should be based on competence and not on tribal basis, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Electoral Area Coordinators for the Tema Central Constituency stated on Friday.
A statement signed by the Coordinators together with NPP Constituency Executives and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tema therefore condemned an appeal by the Tema Traditional Council to government to appoint an indigene as MCE for Tema Metropolitan Authority.
The Traditional Council on Wednesday appealed to the government not to appoint a non-indigene as the MCE for Tema. The council members who made the appeal at a press conference said it was about time traditional consideration was given a priority in the appointment of MCE for Tema.
Nii Amarh Sompuno II, Spokesperson for the Council and Tema Shipi, said
Tema can also boast of natives with good educational backgrounds who were also activists of the NPP therefore there was no justification to bypass such persons for another tribe to head the TMA.
He said even though Tema West and Ashaiman were also under its paramountcy non-natives were MCEs in the two areas therefore it was not out of place for them to insist on at least getting one of their own for the Tema Metropolis where the Council was located.
But in a rejoinder to the Traditional Council’s appeal, the NPP Electoral Area Coordinators for Tema Central Constituency described the action of the Council as an endorsement of tribal politics within the Metropolis.
According to the NPP Electoral Area Coordinators the promotion of tribal politics in Tema- a cosmopolitan city- had the greatest potential to destroy not only the Tema Metropolis but the country at large.
« We affirm our position and indeed as indicated in the January 28, 2021 press release of same Traditional Council that an appointment to the office of MCE should be based on competence and proven track record of delivering results, » the statement said.
The NPP group also called on the government to ignore all attempts to introduce tribalism into the nomination of the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive.
They reiterated the support of Party’s grassroots for any compete nominee as the MCE who has demonstrated competence, loyalty, hard work, visionary and unflinching commitment to the development of Tema.
The group said they were resolute in their conviction that any such nominee had the ability to win back the Tema East Parliamentary seat for the Party.
