We Are Not Interfering with KMA Operations – Sam Pyne

The Ashanti regional branch of the ruling New Patriotic Party has dismissed reports they are interfering in the operations of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

It comes after the Presiding member of the assembly Abraham Boadi told Starr news that the NPP executives have been impeding operations at the assembly with their incessant demands for contracts and circumvention of standard practices to favour them.

“We the assembly members are all aware of the happenings between the mayor of Kumasi Osei Assibey and the NPP regional executives. We will never allow the party to bully the mayor for doing the right thing. We are aware of what the regional minister and his camp are doing through the NADMO coordinator who doubles as first vice chairman of NPP,” he said.

He added, the assembly members will resist any attempt by the NPP executives to control operations of KMA.

“Assembly operates with local government act not political party’s interest therefore we will make sure the mayor operates in line with the local government act. We are solidly behind the mayor. Next week we will petition Otumfuo the life patron of KMA, and the President of the republic over the issue. In fact, our petition is ready we are just waiting for Otumfuo to arrive from his foreign trip,” he noted.

Responding to the charges, the regional secretary of the party Sam Pyne said the allegations are baseless.

“We don’t have any problem. I am surprised that people are making allegations over things they don’t have any evidence on. As a political party we have a responsibility to ensure the president succeeds and so we have issues we meet to discuss with our MMCEs. I don’t remember the last time we influenced contracts or anything at the KMA, so if anyone comes with such an allegations, the person should provide evidence. If there are individuals pressurising the KMA, we don’t have any knowledge about it but as a party executive we have not done that,” he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Thursday.