THE Obuasi Municipal Assembly set a record when the election of Presiding Member (PM) being contested by two persons had to travel into a record five rounds before one of them was confirmed as duly elected by the 42-member assembly.
The voting for the two contestants, Mr J.F.K. Addai, an AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) representative in the assembly, (now an appointee) and Mr Benjamin Annang, the Assembly Member for Sanso and a social advocate, started after midday on Saturday and was supervised by the Electoral Commission.
Observers, however, had to wait for over six hours before Mr Annang threw in the towel for Mr Addai to poll 36 votes to occupy the PM seat.
He was later sworn into office by the Obuasi Circuit Court Judge, Mr Gilbert Ewusi Addo.
However, the President’s nominee for the post of Municipal Chief Executive, Mr John Alexander Kobina Ackon, received overwhelming endorsement of the assembly members.
Mr Ackon, who was born and bred in Obuasi, holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and was formerly an employee of AGA, polled 36 votes with two against and four votes disqualified.
His endorsement was greeted with thunderous shouts of “Easy, easy!” by the enthusiastic crowd.
In his victory speech, he said the municipal assembly needed a unifier and with the unity among the members, he believed that the path would be clear.
He, therefore, urged them to unite solidly behind him and help to develop the municipality.
Mr Addai promised that as a former staff of AGA, he had a good relationship with the mining firm and would work hard to develop the communities.
He said he would invite all stakeholder; comprising chiefs, community leaders and AGA to a roundtable conference to find a lasting solution to the problems associated with galamsey.
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