The Assembly Member for Dichemso Electoral Area in the Kumasi metropolis, Kwabena Senkyire is accusing Kumasi Mayor Kojo Bonsu of withholding waste-bins meant for distribution as a means of stifling the campaign of Assembly Members towards the District and Unit Committee Elections.
According to him, a technocrat from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) told him the Mayor is intentionally delaying the handing over of the over 1000 waste-bins to the electoral areas because some Assembly members could include that in their campaign messages to garner votes in the Assembly elections.
Over 1000 waste-bins are sitting idle at the Waste Management Department of the KMA when the Kumasi city remains engulfed in filth because of the daily littering by residents.
The waste-bins were handed over by the Local Government Ministry to the KMA during the third edition of the National Sanitation Day (NSD) held in the Ashanti region.
Since then, the bins have remained in the custody of the KMA’s Waste Management Department.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Nhyira Fm, Honorable Senkyire expressed worry over the delay in the distribution process and indicated that the Mayor must be blamed.
“My source at the Assembly who is also a technocrat told me that the Mayor is refusing to release the bins because he thinks the Assembly Members will use that to campaign towards the Assembly elections,” he alleged.
He said, he has lodged a complaint with the presiding member who is yet to respond to the issue.
The outspoken Assembly Member argued that, all other Assembly Members play a supervisory role in their areas and also serve as agents of development and thus must ensure that sanitary conditions are improved in their jurisdictions.
He further said, the bins when distributed will help residents to reduce filth in various electoral areas.
Responding to the allegations, spokesperson for the Mayor, Samuel Gyamfi said his Boss has no problem with any member of the assembly and would not stifle anyone’s campaign.
Mr Gyamfi dared the Dichemso Assembly member to provide evidence to the claims he made against the Mayor.
He explained that the bins are to be handed over to house-to-house waste collectors, but management is still working to review their contracts before the distribution is done.
“The position of the Mayor is not to distribute waste-bins to Assembly members,” he replied.
He however indicated that, the KMA will finalize the review process with the waste collectors and the distribution would be done soon.
