The Chamber for Local Governance (CHALoG), with expertise in local government, says it will seek legal action to halt the illegal processes leading to the confirmation of President Akufo-Addo’s nominee for the position of Municipal Chief Executive for Tema West.
CHALoG says its position is premised on law, arguing that the Secretary to the General Assembly for the Tema West Municipal Assembly cannot convene a special meeting to confirm President Akufo-Addo’s nominee for the position of Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).
Emmanuel Kwame Kungi, the Municipal Coordinating Director, in a letter dated May 2, 2024 invited all the assembly members of the West Tema Municipality to a special general assembly meeting to confirm the nominee of the President for the position of MCE on May 14, 2024.
Mr Kungi summoned the meeting in his capacity as the Secretary to the General Assembly.
However, Romeo Elikplim Akahoho, the Executive Secretary of CHALoG, in a telephone conversation with The Chronicle, described the invitation as an illegality, quoting Sections 17 (5) and 18 (5) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).
The Act “enjoins the Local Government Minister to develop the model standing orders for all MMDAs, which grants the power to convene inaugural meetings to the Secretary of the General Assembly [(Part 1 (1)], with the object to elect a Presiding Member and the power and discretion to convene all other meetings, apart from the inaugural meeting to the Presiding Member [(Part 3 (3)].”
Mr Akahoho added, “We (CHALoG) further wish to forcefully draw your attention to Part 7 (c) which specifically gives the Presiding Member the discretionary powers to determine the period of notice to the Honorable Assembly Members for special meetings.”
Mr Akahoho advised the Secretary to the General Assembly to call off the special meeting which seeks to confirm Felicia Edem Attipoe as President Akufo-Addo’s nominee for the MCE position.
Mr Akahoho said: “Please be informed and be heavily advised that you do not have the power to convene a special meeting. As a consequence, your purported letter summoning Honorable Assembly Members with the object to confirm the President’s nominee for Municipal Chief Executive is an outright illegality and must be withdrawn forthwith.”
Meanwhile, the special meeting which was scheduled for Tuesday was later rescheduled for Thursday when the assembly members would elect both the Presiding Member and the MCE, according to an insider at the assembly.
