The commencement of the long awaiting vacant position of the presiding membership of the Sunyani West Municipal was held on Wednesday, 23rd September 2020 at the Assembly’s conference hall when a total number of 53 Assembly members including the Municipal chief executive Hon. Martin Obeng elected Dr. Joseph Adu Mensah as the presiding member (PM) for the Sunyani West Assembly after failing to elect PM on three consecutive accounts. The election of the presiding member position was successful with a number of 38 elected assembly members and 17 Government appointees making it a total of 55 assembly members with the absences of 2 was able to fulfill the vacant position.
Per the standing orders of the constitution, Dr. Joseph Adu Mensah had the opportunity to contest for the second round after Hon. Patrick Kwadwo Tabiri and Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim suffered a round – off defeat on Thursday 18th June 2020. He went unopposed and pulled 45 votes of yes whiles 8 votes cast was no and this warranted him two — thirds of the majority of valid vote cast as the presiding member. There was no rejected ballot. The special election was under the supervision of the electoral commission of the Sunyani West Municipal Mr . Twene Owusu Eric and assisted by Mr. Emmanuel Yeboah together with other security agencies and the coordinating director for the Municipality Mr. Philip Baazeng as the secretary and several observant were present. Nananom of the Sunyani West Traditional Council was represented by Nana Amoah Appiah.
The Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Martin Obeng said the absence of the presiding member retarded the progress of development but was able to confront and resolved such challenges. He indicated that the PM presides over general assembly meetings and controls deliberations and ensures good conduct and behavior respectively at assembly meetings. He also chairs public relations and complaints committee, the credit approval committee meetings of the assemblies and also audit report implementations committee of the assembly respectively. Hon. Martin Obeng however lauded the August house for honoring Dr. Joseph Adu Mensah as the presiding member for the progress and development of the Municipality at large. He appealled to all the assembly members to be united and work together for the progress of the municipality. He added that the interventions of the president for his efficient foresight and prudent promises like the free SHS, one hot free meal for
each student, one – district one -Factory policy, planting for food and jobs, employment for unemployed graduate (NABCO), planting for exports and rural developments are evidence to maintain the NPP in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. He urged the people to retain the NPP parliamentary candidate and incumbent MP for Sunyani West Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah and give Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo – Addo for more years to do more since he had been truthful to Ghanaians and delivered on his promises. He again added that the assembly will consolidate the gains made and do more to transform the lives of the people of the Sunyani West Municipal and the Nation at large. He advised against Skirt and Blouse voting and described the election of the PM as timely intervention for the assembly since performance of appraisal and development is concerned. A motion of Motor bicycles was moved as a resolution by Hon. Andrews Amponsah and secanded by Hon. Martin Gyan.
