Blame yourself, not mayors - KMA boss

Source: The Chronicle  -  The Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kojo Bonsu has jumped to the defence of his colleague Mayor in Accra, Dr. Oko Vanderpuye, describing calls for his resignation as unwarranted.

Mr. Kojo Bonsu said instead of blaming Metropolitan Chief Executives for lack of proper waste management and sanitation, which often leads to flooding, Ghanaians should rather blame themselves.

“You always cause the problem and then turn to blame mayors, what have mayors done, you throw rubbish into gutters and when they get choked, you turn round to blame mayors this, mayors that, what can we do,” a virtually angry KMA Boss ranted.

There have been increasing calls on the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Dr. Oko Vanderpuye to step down, following last week’s flooding and explosion which led to several hundreds of Ghanaians losing their lives.

The call for the resignation of the AMA Boss follows what many believe is the gross ineptitude on his part to implement several initiatives to help rid the capital city of perennial flood, despite reports that funds had been earmarked for the project.

Critics of the Accra Mayor further describe him as lacking active leadership whilst others accused him of revering in titles to the neglect of his core duties, in view of the erection of several bill boards portraying him as the ‘Best Mayor of Africa’, an award conferred on him recently by African Mayors Association.

But his colleague in Kumasi, Mr. Kojo Bonsu angrily described such criticisms as unjustifiable, unnecessary and out of place.

An incensed Kojo Bonsu, at a National Sanitation Exercise over the weekend, chastised Ghanaians and especially residents of Kumasi, for their lackadaisical attitude towards waste management and disposal in the city.

The Mayor, who was not happy at the level of patronage of the exercise by residents in the metropolis last Saturday, said the issue of waste management and sanitation could not be blamed on leadership failure but rather the attitude of some Ghanaians who lack discipline and the commitment towards doing the right thing.

Mayor Bonsu was equally not happy at the approach of some people who decided not to join the exercise but stood idle and watched. “Now look at everybody standing; where are the church members (referring to some congregations who joined the exercise), you know cleanliness is next to Godliness, now everybody is standing. It is you the same people who will turn round and blame mayors, meanwhile you are not doing what is expected of you,” he lamented.

He noted that the challenges could only be tackled if Ghanaians decide to change their attitude towards waste management, rather than always waiting on authorities to act first.