The chiefs of the two traditional areas in Kintampo North have petitioned President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo to re-appoint Mr. Michael Sarkodie Baffoe, the incumbent Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) to maintain unity and peace for continuous socio-economic development.

According to them, aside Nana Fanyinamah III who served as the Zongo chief/traditional head of all settler groups in the Municipality and overlord of Wangaras in Ghana, the two areas were the Mo/Dega and the Nkoranza traditional jurisdictions.

This was part of a petition signed by the representatives of the chiefs made up of Nana Effah Guakro II, Chief of Kyeremankoma, Kintampo and Kronkohene of Nkoranza Traditional Area, Nana Fanyinamah III and Nana Agyei Adinkra, Kurontirehene of Mo traditional Area and issued at Kintampo and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday in Sunyani.

In recognition and honour of the chiefs, successive governments, as a traditional antecedence had been appointing MCEs aligned to both traditional areas to create the spirit of inclusiveness and popular patronage, the petition said.

It stated "Mr. Baffoe is a unique personality who traces his paternal lineage to Nkoranza, his maternal lineage to Mo/Dega and was born and bred in Kintampo Zongo throughout his formative years", adding "he is therefore a unique individual who deeply understands the cultures, traditions, norms, languages and the psychology of the three different fraternities indicated above".

The petition said conscious of the fact that the successes of governments were hinged on the efforts of their appointees in close collaboration with traditional authorities, "Mr. Baffoe during his first term created a strong sense of unity, recognition, peaceful co-existence and respect for the chieftaincy institution in the Municipality".

It cited a protracted conflict at Portor, a farming community in the Municipality which took a heavy toll on the finances of the Municipal Assembly, leaving the then political leadership with no option than to expend judicious financial resources which otherwise would have been channeled into critical developmental projects in the Municipality.

On assumption of office in 2017, the petition emphasised "he brought his ingenuity and dexterity to the fore by managing and resolving that conflict amicably", saying Portor and its environs were now enjoying lasting peace and this singular effort has eased government's burden of committing scarce financial resources to maintaining the peace in the area.

It said Mr. Baffoe distinguished himself creditably in the area of massive infrastructural development, where every sector of the Municipality received a touch in diverse ways of Mr. Baffoe's novel infrastructural interventions in sectors such as education, justice and security, health, agriculture, water and sanitation, employment and roads.

It mentioned some outstanding strategic infrastructure like the court building complex which was one of its kind particularly in the Bono East Region to be inaugurated by President Akufo-Addo as part of his thank you tour of the region.

In addition, the Kintampo Waterfalls which was re-engineered and renovated to incorporate a canopy walkway and zipline were executed in Mr. Baffoe's first term and a new Girls' Model School under construction in the Kintampo Municipality.

"The Chieftaincy institution in Kintampo bears ample witness to the promptness and integrity with which this government continues to redeem its campaign promises.

"Thus, the two traditional areas with the support of Nana Fanyinamah III and his subjects are of the view that for President Akufo-Addo to succeed in his second term and thereby break the eight-year jinx, President Akufo-Addo should graciously re-appoint an experienced, obedient, appealing, courageous and dexterous personality like Mr. Baffoe who began with the President and has had deep knowledge of the dynamics, workings and challenges of the Municipality", the petition concluded.