Kumasi MCE visits NPP, CPP offices
The Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kojo Bonsu, last Tuesday undertook a historic visit to the Ashanti regional offices of two opposition parties — the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Convention People’s Party (CPP) — to find ways of working with all the political parties to build a better Kumasi.
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He would be visiting other opposition party offices in Kumasi in due course on a similar mission.
In spite of the Supreme Court petition by three NPP gurus challenging the election of Mr John Mahama as president, the scene at the regional offices of the NPP at Bantama was friendly and lively.
Mr Bonsu arrived at the main opposition party’s regional offices in the afternoon at the time officials were viewing proceedings at the Supreme Court hearing on television.
However, the officials including some regional and constituency executives abandoned the viewing to give the Mayor a warm welcome.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr F.F. Antoh, described Mr Bonsu’s visit as unprecedented and said it would be an example to all politicians that “we are not enemies.”
“What you have done is historic and it shows that you mean business,” Mr Antoh said.
He made reference to the administration of Mr Kojo Yankah as regional minister in the first NDC administration and indicated that he was not a native of the region but because of the many good things he did, a lot of people cried for his return when the then president removed him from the region.
Mr Antoh advised the MCE to continue showing respect to all kinds of people but at the same time implored him to be wary of sycophants within his own party as they could bring him down.
He also said Kumasi is the heart of the Ashanti Region and promised Mr Bonsu that they, as the NPP party, would offer him all the necessary support.
In his remarks, Mr Bonsu observed that it was only when the people of Kumasi unite with a common purpose that they could all contribute their quota to its development.
“We should not allow politics to divide us. We are all seeking a common goal to develop Kumasi and this is what we should do no matter where we find ourselves, “ he said.
He said the doors to his offices were always opened for suggestions that would help restore Kumasi to its past glories.
At the CPP office, Mr Bonsu was welcomed by the acting regional chairman, Mr Osei Yaw, who commended him for the visit.
“We want you to succeed because when you succeed Kumasi succeeds,” he said.
Mr Bonsu urged the party executives not to hesitate to call on him any time they had something positive to offer towards Kumasi’s development.
By Kwame Asare Boadu
