KMA Not Chasing Media With Soldiers – Mayor

NO SOLDIER or group of soldiers were  sent by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA)  to raid the Kumasi Central Market aka Kejetia ostensibly to prevent a group of journalists from conducting interviews there, the KMA has stated.

“For what? Why would we do such a thing under this democracy? If any journalist has something to say about Kejetia, how does sending soldiers to drive the journalist away prevent him or her from saying what has to be said? I beg you, such stories questions should not even be asked. Everyone here in Kumasi knows that the KMA has worked very closely with the media here and even media house outside the Ashanti region all these years to see to the success of the Kejetia project.

“Now that there is good news, why would we want to bring in soldiers to destroy our relationship with the media? I have heard such reports and even though I know the KMA has done no such thing, we are seriously investigating to get to the bottom of it just to be double and triple clear in our hearts and minds that no such nonsense happened. We have had some initial findings which showed no such thing happened. We are still investigating every single word that has been put out”,  Osei Assibey Antwi, the KMA Chief Executive told THE PUBLISHER

He continued: “let us not allow this report to shift our focus from the good news of the Kumasi Central Market and the work we have to continue there. The Market is for us all. And we must see it as such rather than seeing it as something for the KMA alone”.

There were reports that a joint military/police team, supposedly sent by the KMA, prevented a group of journalists working for a radio station in Kumasi from mounting a set of Outside Broadcasting Equipment within the Kejetia market to conduct live interviews with the traders.

The KMA in a strong worded press statement has denied the reports and described it as falsehood to make the Assembly look bad in the eye of the public.

Henrietta Afia Konadu Aboagye, the KMA PRO, said preliminary investigations into the issue revealed that the media house in question wrote to the Manager on charge of the Kumasi Central Market for an official permit for the station to hold the said event on Monday around 4pm, less than 24 hours before the intended programme.

The KMA PRO explained that before the market manager could seek clearance from his superiors to get to issue the permit as requested, the said media house zoomed into the market with their equipment to broadcast live from the place when the official permit they requested for had not been granted.

The KMA PRO disclosed that the City Guards, stationed at the market, requested for permit to mount the equipment and broadcast live from the market and they failed produce it so they were prevented from setting up their mini studio in the market.

She was categorical that at no point did the KMA send a team of policemen and soldiers to  raid the market and sack the journalists.

“There are by-laws that must be respected by everyone, including the KMA, the media, the public, all stakeholders because no one is above the law”, Henrietta Afia Konadu Aboagye added.

NPP COMMENDS KMA OVER KEJETIA ALLOCATION

Meanwhile the smooth and incident-free allocation of stores to traders at the Kejetia Market has earned the commendation and applauds of civil society and groups, with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) being the latest to join the rising list of admirers.

Nana Ama Ampomah, the Ashanti Regional NPP Women Organizer said the party is particularly impressed about the smooth manner of the allocation exercise,  conducted and organized by the KMA

The KMA finally started to allocate stores to traders at the Kejetia Market at the Cultural Center in Kumasi last two weeks after several years of construction works.

Nana Ama Ampomah and other NPP chieftains from the regional to constituency levels, stormed the Cultural Center in Kumasi to inspect the allocation of stores exercise.

She told the media that Osei Assibey Antwi’s administration at the KMA has done an excellent job, which has ensured smooth and peaceful allocation exercise.

“The KMA Boss has done a good work and I must state that he and his team needs to be commended”, Nana Ama Ampomah, stated with broad smiles on her face.

George Kofi Adjei, the Nhyiaeso NPP Chairman, also commended the Osei Assibey Antwi’s administration for doing a spectacular job, so far.

Osei Assibey Antwi, on his part, stated that Kumasi would bounce back strong, in terms of businesses, following the completion of the Kejetia Market.