Twenty-six assembly members of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) who allegedly returned the ‘gift’ of GH¢500 each to the twice-rejected mayor nominee say they are receiving threats.
The Assembly members say they were given the money as a gift and transportation for their time to vote to confirm the President’s nominee for the metropolis, Ernest Arthur, but they started receiving insults and other threats from some anonymous persons.
Mr. Arthur, who was the incumbent, has been rejected by the Assembly members twice despite the Central Region Minister going on her knees for a favourable result.
On Thursday, October 7, the 26 assembly members at a press conference said they had returned the amount to the ‘failed’ mayor to save their integrity.
Reacting to the issue on 3FM’s Sunrise hosted by Alfred Nene Ocansey on Friday, the Spokesperson for concerned Assembly members, Usman Abbam Egyin, explained that “the assembly has 45 elected members and 25 appointees, making 70 members”.
He said when they decided to return the money, “31 responded but 26 returned the money as at the time of the press conference”.
“The others did not show up but if those who are yet to return the ‘gift’ are ready and want to return it today, we shall return it”.
Mr. Egyin said: “We received threats and insults from the people of Cape Coast and that’s why we returned the money because the people thought we were taking the ‘gift’ and voted for him [Mr. Ernest Arthur].
“Whether we have threat issues or not, we have returned it so in case he wins on Monday, no one should tell us that we have taken money.”
Asked what sort of threats, Mr. Egyin explained that “there were threats of insults. Someone called and said we have seen that you do not respect the people of Cape Coast…they do not want to see the euphoria of violence during the 2020 election that characterized the area so we have returned it so they should let us be. That’s it”.
“We are showing clearly to the people of Cape Coast that nobody can buy us.”
Reacting to the rumours that the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South Constituency, Kweku Ricketts-Haggan, influenced some Assembly members to vote against Mr. Arthur because Mr. Arthur contested him during the 2020 elections, Mr. Abbam Egyin said “it’s false. It’s untrue. He did not give us any money. They are speculations if they say he gave us money to vote against the Mayor nominee”.
By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|3news.com|Ghana