Ahead of the intended announcement of Chief Executives for the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country, some people have hoisted red banners and posters at vantage points across the Cape Coast Metropolis demanding the dismissal of the current Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) – Ernest Arthur.
Some of the inscriptions on the banners read “enough is enough, Ernest Arthur must go”, “don’t appoint slapping MCE”, “MCE is disrespectful, works with only cronies,” among others.
Though it is not clear who exactly is behind this agitation, the move is coming on the heels of persistent demands from certain quarters for the removal of Ernest Arthur as MCE, and the rush for his position. According some discussions in the public space the agitations give credence to the abysmal performance of the MCE during his tenure.
A press statement issued on Thursday on behalf of a group calling itself Grassroot Members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and under the signature of Jonathan Amoah Baidoo has appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to reappoint Ernest Arthur as the MCE.
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“We appeal to President Akufo-Addo to reject any moves by some self-seeking faceless regional and national executives lobbying for the intolerant MCE to be re-appointment.”
They have pledged to resist any such moves, saying that “for us to break the eight, it is not by words but by our deeds, hard work and God’s favour. We would like to state as a matter of fact that, the MCE still harbours his MP ambition and when given the second chance, will do worse things to further bring the party down.”
The statement described the MCE as an epitome of a lawless leader who is only interested in awarding contracts and created opportunities for his friends and cronies. They said the MCE has been an embodiment of disrespect who has no regard for his subordinates as he even slaps them at the least provocation.
“He uses abusive language on anyone when he feels irked by the least provocation, he abuses the workers of the assembly verbally as well as party people,” the statement noted, adding that, such traits caused the NPP a great deal of disaffection and was part of the reasons they lost the Cape Coast South parliamentary seat to the NDC.
Also mentioned in the statement was the MCE’s poor human relation which according to the group has become a symbol of disunity among the members of the party, an attitude that has forced another constituency executive to contest for the MCE position.
They cited his selfish act as witnessed during the COVID-19 era before election 2020 where almost all the COVID-19 relief items which were meant for the assembly were mostly distributed by him and leaving out Cape Coast North.
They blamed the NPP’s poor performance in the 2020 elections in the Cape Coast North constituency to the lack of development in that area as a resulted of the MCE’s lack of vision and foresight.
“The MCE over concentrated on Cape Coast South due to his ambition to become the MP there. We are not against anyone’s political ambition, however, for that to lead to the total neglect of Cape Coast North…. Probably he forgot that the metro is made up of two constituencies,” the statement noted.
They revealed that almost all official activities of the MCE are centered at Cape Coast South leading against the total neglect of the North.
“The MCE contributed to the defeat of our former Cape Coast North MP, Mrs Barbara Asher Ayisi. It will interest you to know that, the MCE ceased almost all correspondents relating to central government and the assembly’s projects which were being undertaken in Cape Coast North with the then MP.
By Jeorge Wilson Kingson || ghananewsonline.com.gh