By Sebastian R. Freiku
KUMASIANO, AN official mouthpiece of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has been launched in Kumasi as an additional newspaper on the newsstands.
The 8-page bi-monthly, the baby of the new mayor, Hon Kojo Bonsu, would project unfolding events in the garden City as well as provide minute by minute news items for consumption of the reading public by upholding the core values of entertaining, informing and educating of the media.
The newspaper, which would be distributed every two weeks free of charge to members of the public, would be available at hotels, offices, public places, transport terminals and supermarkets, among others.
The mayor said at the launching last Monday that Kumasiano would be financed by proceeds from the sale of its advertisement spaces to advertisers and emphasized that funding had nothing to do with KMA coffers.
As announced by the mayor in his maiden address during the first ordinary meeting of the 3rd session of the assembly on Tuesday May 21, 2013, the newspaper would seek to bring governance closer to the doorsteps of the people of Kumasi and highlight development projects, programmes and activities at the Assembly.
Kumasiano is edited by Mr. Godwin Okumah Nyame, the Public Relations officer of KMA as the head of an eight-member Editorial team.
An appeal for funds at the launching, which was witnessed by management personnel of KMA including heads of department and sections, assembly members and some corporate entities, yielded GH¢30,000.00 with B.K. Nsiah Compan donating the highest amount of GH¢5,000.00.
Conspicuously absent at the launching was the Presiding member, Nana Kofi Senyah, whose absence was filled by Nana Apeasa II, the former PM.