Last Friday, the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Mr Dan Botwe, on the orders of President Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo, suspended the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Abdul MuminIssah, with immediate effect pending an inquiry into his encounter with the police on February 2, 2022.
On the said date, at about 8:30 p.m., the MCE, driving a Toyota Land Cruiser from Takoradi direction of the road, failed to observe traffic regulations at the Kwesimintsim Cemetery Police Snap Checkpoint and used an unapproved route reserved for the police and other security agencies and nearly hit one of the police personnel on duty there.
When the rolice confronted MrIssah, he took offence and insulted them at the top of his voice, spewing out such unprintable words as”stupid, ugly, I will beat you to death. Do you know me? I will transfer you to Enchi”.
He was said to be so violent that the personnel on duty had to call for reinforcement in order to effect his arrest and arraigned for careless and inconsiderate drivingand causing danger to other road users.
On Friday,the Takoradi Circuit Court A grantedIssah self-recognisance bail to appear again on Thursday, February 17.
The statement announcing Issah’ssuspension said it was without prejudice to the matter before court and that the government had taken a very dim view of the comments made by the MCE during his exchanges with the police as such comments ran contrary to the government’s belief and work to ensure that security andother public agencies were resourced, empowered and accorded the respect to deliver on their mandates.
Like the government has said, this editorial is in reference to Issah’s encounter with the Kwesimintsim police but without prejudice to the matter before court.
It is said that most people, particularly in Africa, do not understand what leadership entails, so the moment assume leadership positions, they try to lord it over their constituents, subjects, subordinates and others they deem as being inferior to them.
Such leaders always want others to know they have power, probably forgetting or not knowing that power alone is not enough because it is possible to have power somewhere whose authority cannot be extended to another place.
These are leaders who want to be feared, always behaving harshly against those under them and even those beyond them.
They are peremptory, officious, imperious, authoritative, cruel and lack fellow-feeling, which make them rough, merciless and disdainful.
From afar, it can be said that if Issahis proven to have conducted himself as reported, then he fits the foregoing description and so does not deserve to handle power.
The Ghanaian Times, however, wants to believe that while the court handles the case in its own way, the government would also conduct its independent investigation to confirm Issah’s conduct or absolve him of any wrongdoing.
It is about time the government took serious view of all manner of misbehaviour by political appointees without any aspect of such misbehaviour being treated as light and dismissed.
It is sad that Ghana is a place where some people perceive themselves as super-humans, untouchable and thus can have their way in everything and everywhere.
This behaviour is not among only political leadership but also that of corporate bodies and organisations, including even the church and the police service as some of its members bully the citizenry.
The situation is such that it is even difficult seeking redress, hence some people are living with all manner of hurts.
Our leaders must note with all seriousness that leadership is meant to improve lives, ensure progress and development and give direction as to the best thing to do.
Therefore, leaders must be exemplars and role models, not despots who must be feared by all just for the sake of it.
