Nii Amarh Soumponu II, the Tema Shipi and Stool Secretary (M)
The Tema Traditional Council (TTC) has expressed disappointment with President John Dramani Mahama’s nomination of Ms Ebi Bright as the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive.
Ms Bright, a three-time National Democratic Congress (NDC) Tema Central parliamentary candidate, was nominated as the first female MCE of the Tema Metro despite several calls on the president by the council requesting a native to occupy the position.
Reacting to the nomination announcement, the council indicated that they were displeased with how the NDC has dealt with the natives of Tema.
Nii Amarh Soumponu II, the Tema Shipi and Stool Secretary, addressing the media, stressed that even though the Tema paramountcy has three assemblies within its jurisdiction, they only asked for the Tema Metro seat to be reserved for indigenes, just as it had been done in other coastal areas from Keta in the Volta Region to Axim in the Western Region.
Nii Soumponu stated, “All these places have indigenes appointed to the position, so we are unable to come to terms with how Tema has been secluded from having one of its own assigned to this position.
“We are beginning to wonder whether we are being treated as foreigners on our land. Tema belongs to the people of Tema, so if a situation arises where our neighbouring or sister towns are given such positions, and the government decides otherwise for us.”
He stated that it was unfortunate that they were being turned into slaves on their land, as, according to him, their farmlands were used for industries, depriving them of their livelihood, and now they were being denied some respect by the government.
The council debunked the public assertion that they were fighting the non-indigenous, emphasising that “We are not fighting non-indigenous if that is so; we won’t have even accepted them as residents of Tema in the first place, but we want everyone to know that we are being treated unfairly on our own land.”
They added, “We can’t fight the government; we won’t embark on violent activities, but we want them to understand that we are not happy with the way they have treated us.”
