The Ashanti Regional Minister, Alexander Akon, has refuted claims that he is acting as Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
There were reports indicating that, Mr. Akon is to act as Kumasi MCE but he has debunked the reports saying they are “not true” and that “he [Kojo Bonsu] is the mayor of Kumasi. If there’s no other correspondence, he is still the mayor.”
There were calls by the Asanteman Council in Kumasi for the removal Mr. Bonsu following reports he unilaterally removed the Amoamanhene, Nana Agyenim Boateng from the Kejetia Market project board without informing the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Mr. Bonsu has since apologized to the Kumasi Traditional council.
Council’s decision may be irreversible
The Regional Minister further added that, “per Asante custom, if you offend your elders, in this context Nananom are the elders of the Asanteman, it is incumbent on you to render an apology, and hence Kojo’s apology to Asanteman, first as a royal and then for offending Kumasi Traditional Council.
Now when you do an apology, you expect that it should be received and accepted and we hope that he will be forgiven accordingly.”
However, the Asantehene’s Chief Linguist, Nsuase Poku Agyemang, said that the decision of the Council is irreversible since the Asafohene, Acheamfuor Kwame Akowuah, represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the meeting.
Protests against KMA over relocation
These developments stemmed from confusion in Kumasi between the traders and the KMA over plans to reconstruct the Kumasi Central Market.
Traders at the Kejetia market have on several occasions staged demonstrations to protest the Assembly’s decision to relocate them.
The traders in a bid to stop the relocation requested for an injunction to be placed on the demolition of the Kejetia Bus Terminal meant to pave way for the redevelopment of the terminal but the court threw out their application.
