General News of Thursday, 21 March 2013

Source: Citi FM

AMA presiding member apologises to Mayor of Accra

The Presiding Member (PM) of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Desmond Addo Biney has apologised for what the Assembly Members say was an indictment on the Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije.

Some of the members had resolved to pass a vote of no confidence in their PM for circulating a memorandum that sought to impeach the Mayor.

At an assembly meeting on Thursday, Desmond Addo Biney promised to work in unity with the Mayor and Assembly Members.

“Honorable member, if because of the copy that I put on paper is what members are calling for the presiding member to say something about it, I say sorry to all assembly members and it will not happen again. If it has also affected any member I say sorry” he said.

Meanwhile the Local Government Minister; Opong Fosu cautioned that “it is prudent for them to work as a team for the good of the Metropolitan area and the general development of the city of Accra.”

According to him, although the challenges affecting the assembly are daunting it calls for concerted efforts from members to address the issues.

He noted that some of the issues that must capture their attention should be sanitation, waste management, decongestion on the streets, overcrowding, noise pollution and most significantly low internally generated funds rather than indulging in factionalism and petty squabbles.

“I am sure you are aware that failure to resolve your differences as a united body could compel central government. By law central government has the power to intervene. Section 4/43. 2A gives the President the power to dissolve or suspend the assembly,” he added.