The suspended Metropolitan Chief Executive for Sekondi-Takoradi, Abdul Mumin Issah, has said comments he made about Enchi during an encounter with a Police officer have been interpreted wrongly.

Mr. Mumin Issah said he considers Enchi, a community in the Aowin Municipality of the Western Region, as his second home; thus, “I cannot in my wildest imagination slight either the geographical location, infrastructural development or the very good people living in the Aowin Traditional Area as a whole.”

Responding to calls by the Paramount Chief of the Aowin Traditional Area for an immediate apology, the embattled MCE said in a statement on Wednesday that he has been advised to avoid commenting on the audio in question until the Court deals with the matter.

“I can assure Omanhene Beyeeman and all the good people of Enchi that the various negative interpretations placed on my comments in relation to Enchi in the said audio are unfortunately misplaced and far from the truth.”

“I wish to place it on record that I have lived in Enchi for a period of time as a contractor to construct the Enchi College of Education (ENCHICO) Library. Apart from the library project, I also undertook some business activities in the area during my stay there. Indeed, I made a lot of friends and so much enjoyed whilst living in Enchi.”

According to him, “[his] pleasant nature will be more pronounced after the Court proceedings.”

He has pleaded with the traditional rulers and residents of the Aowin Traditional Area to exercise maximum restraint and allow the Court to finish dealing with the case before it.

“I reiterate my commitment to cooperate with the Police administration to prosecute the case to its logical conclusion. I remain resolute in my conviction that the real truth on the incident before, during and after the audio recording by the Police officer shall prevail,” Abdul Mumin Issah assured.

On Monday, February 7, the Omanhene of the Aowin Traditional Area, Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III, demanded an immediate apology from the MCE for his comments about the area.

According to him, the MCE, Abdul Mumin Issah, “showed his total lack of deference and decorum to the people of Enchi by refusing to offer [them] a sincere apology.”

“Despite the propriety and indispensability of a fitting statement to counter the offensive and degrading light in which Mr. Issah cast Enchi, I stayed calm, thinking Mr. Issah would see the need to render an unreserved apology to the people of Enchi as soon as he was granted bail.”

What happened?

In a scuffle between him and a police officer on Thursday, February 3, the MCE is heard threatening to transfer the officer to Enchi.

“Patrol team, coming to take me? You don’t know who you are dealing with. You will come begging tomorrow. I’ll send you to Enchi”, he said.

“You don’t know who you are dealing with, you will come begging tomorrow” – Abdul-Mumin Issah’s [MCE, Sekondi-Takoradi]

Watch encounter between Sekondi-Takoradi MCE and @ghpoliceservice officer after he [MCE] was stopped for alleged dangerous driving #JoySMS pic.twitter.com/4I6Ulp9p3v

— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) February 4, 2022

The Police officer responded and said “it [Enchi] is a place. Police are working there. Transfer is not punishment in Police. You can transfer me to Pwalugu. My colleagues are there working happily.”

His pronouncement grabbed the attention of many Ghanaians who have condemned the statement and described it as discriminatory.