Regional News of Tuesday, 27 April 2021

Source: Freeman Awulesu, Contributor

We want Paul Baako as MCE – Ga South Chiefs

Paul Baako Paul Baako

With the appointment of substantive ministers out of the way and the nomination of deputy ministers pending parliamentary vetting and approval, the next major decision of President Akufo-Addo informing his next government is the appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

It has become obvious that many of the current MMDCEs serving in acting capacities would not be reappointed and one of such is the incumbent Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ga South Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region, Mr Joseph Stephen Nyarni, who has served in the first term of President Akufo-Addo.

However, the chiefs, youth, market queens, religious leaders and some Assembly members of the Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro and Domibra-Obom Constituencies within the Ga South Municipality are clamouring for the appointment of the NPP Chairman of the Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro Constituency, Mr Paul Ibrahim Baako to be given the job.

The traditional officer holders and youth in the grassroots level of the area cited the activeness, public mobilisation engagements, submissiveness, accountability, transparent, truthiness, respectfulness and selflessness credentials of Mr Baako as his major competencies that would be needed to man the municipality that is fast expanding in population and infrastructure, more so, that it remains the stronghold of the ruling New Patriotic Party.

Some market queens and folks in Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro and Domibra-Obom Constituencies in Accra have also thrown their weight behind Mr Baako.

For the chiefs of the area, they pointed out that for the look of the vast competencies of Mr Baako, he is currently the best person who fit for the job.

This, they stressed was because he was born and bred and lived all his adult life contributing to social and infrastructure development of Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro and Domibra-Obom Constituencies and has continued to be an active participant of NPP activities since 1996.

The chiefs indicated that they were clamouring for the appointment of Mr Baako who they described as the “homeboy” as the new MCE for the Ga South because the current MCE has failed to champion their course.

They revealed that the current MCE failed to institute measures to solve the long-standing dispute on boundary demarcation between the chiefs of the Ga South Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra region and chiefs of Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly in the Central Region.

According to them, they personally approached the current MCE to ensure that the government intervene in the boundary demarcation dispute issue between the two parties but he has not taken any action making the chiefs of the Awutu Senya East continue to claim ownership of Kasoa Iron City Land, as the said land was not within the administrative jurisdiction of Awutu Senya Municipal Assembly.

The chiefs noted that they thought that the successive previous MCEs of the Ga South were not indigenous of the area and that they didn’t understand the predicaments of the chiefs of Langma, Tuba, Domibra Amanfro in connection with the boundary dispute between them and the people of Awutu Senya East and thought Mr Nyarni being a citizen of the area has rather failed to find a solution to resolve the issue.

The chiefs accused the current MCE of refusing to attend traditional areas meetings and programmes to discuss the issue of the community concerns.

The chiefs believe that these actions being exhibited by the MCE has made him not worthy to be chosen as MCE again and appealed to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to appoint Mr Baako as the new Municipal MCE for the area.

Speaking in an interview with DAILY ANALYST, the chiefs stated that Mr Baako’s remarkable contributions, achievements and experience in the local governance system which has earned him “the educated NPP Chairman” accolade would bring massive change to the Ga South Municipality.

The chiefs, with diverse professional backgrounds within all the towns of the traditional areas dedicated that they have thrown their weight behind Baako to be appointed by President Akufo-Addo as the MCE of Ga South.

They stressed that they have known Mr Baako for a very long time and hope if given the nod, can work with them because of his humility and good human relations status.

They asserted that the hard of Mr Baako has contributed to the victory of President Akufo-Addo and Member of Parliament (NPP) for Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro Constituency, Mr Sylvester Tetteh in the 2020 general elections.

“We are saying that want somebody like the affable Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro NPP Constituency Chairman, Mr Paul Ibrahim Baako, who we believe can pursue the government’s agenda of massive development at the local levels,” they stressed.

Responding to the calls by the chiefs, youth and market queen the former Bortianor Polling Station Coordinator confirmed the rumours grinding in the mill that he is in the forerunning to be the next MCE of Ga South Municipal Assembly.

The young staunch member of the NPP with vast experience in partisan politics
and having appointed government appointee and the former Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro Constituency Second Vice Chairman and current substantive Chairman respectively aims at the job to “restore Ga South to its full glory.”

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Accra-based Rainbow Radio monitored by DAILY Analyst, Mr Paul said he is aware that he has been tipped by top party guns to succeed Mr Nyarni as the next MCE Ga South Municipal Assembly, following the submission of his name alongside those of six others for consideration by the President.

Mr Baako attributed the confidence reposed in him by the NPP leadership to be the new Ga South MCE to his long service to the good of the party and government, through grassroots mobilization, communication and active local governance participation.

He said although the government is doing well by way of improving the road networks in the area he was quick to state that when appointed the new MCE he would do more to all deplorable roads been fixed within the electoral areas of the municipality.

He further promised to fix the drainage systems in the area which would go a long to stop the flooding of the houses when it rains.


He assured to devise contingency measures to ensure of building market centres within the electoral areas of Ga South Municipality to boost the business development for the traders, particularly the petty ones.

“We are known in Ga South Municipality there are no proper market centres and the traders have to travel from Accra to Kasoa market to buy and sell which situation does not make any economic value.

“There are no busy market for the traders to buy and sell in Ga South Municipality instead of Malam Junction Market which even falls within the Weija-Gbawe municipality which was a different municipality, making our traders to suffer.

“So far l very close to the chiefs and Queens mothers of the area l would make sure that l advise the chiefs to make allocation of lands to start building a proper market centers for the people in Ga South Municipality,,” Mr Paul further assured.

“We have so many problems concerning our boundaries issue stretch from Lumba, Tuba, Domibra Amanfro, it was where we share a common boundary with the Awutu Senya East and that as the Municipal Chief Executive if you did understand the real issue concerning the boundary and the chiefs are coming to you as MCE to prevent the people of Awutu Senya East laying incursion on their boundary you feel that the chiefs are disturbing you.

“But if you are local boy like how l stay with the people and understand the boundary issue between the two factions, and as the issue has become a matter important to the people of Ga State you have to ensure that the government intervene by way of finding a lasting solution to this long unending boundary issue. But l have the technical known to how to bring to issue to an end when appointed the new MCE of the area, Mr Baako further stressed.