A Local Governance Analyst, George Kyei Baffour has described the sacking of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives as unfortunate although he observes that the act is within the remits of the President’s powers.
President Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday revoked the appointments of all 216 MMDCEs. A letter sighted addressed to all MMDCEs from the Ministry of Local Government, directed them to hand over their relevant duties to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Coordinating Directors (MMDCDs).
But speaking to Citi News, the local government analyst such move will truncate administrative processes within the various assemblies.
“Looking at it in the context of good governance and enhancement of decentralization in this country, I think it is an unfortunate event because it truncates the entire process of administrative and executive authority at the level of the assembly. But constitutionally, the president is close to the power to do what he has done and for that matter it is difficult to express reservations that much,” he explained.
Gov’t defends move
But the Minister nominee for Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama has defended government’s decision to remove the MMDCEs from office.
She explained that the move will ensure a uniformity of vision at the national and sub-national level and to reflect the change in governance at the local level as well.
“Once there is a change in government, we have to ensure that it goes through national to sub-national level and that is what we have effected,” she said on Eyewitness News.
MMDCEs to be voted for
President Akufo-Addo had in his 2016 manifesto promised to allow MMDCEs to be elected based on recommendations of the Constitutional Review Commission.
He also reiterated same during his campaign saying “In 2018, we are going to move to fully elected District Assembly representations including the choice of the District chief Executive (DCE). It is going to be done by the people of the districts and no longer by the nomination of the President.”
Source: Citifmonline
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
It's a step in the right direction. Some are still commissioning projects.
They are awarding contracts to ndc women organisers for school feeding programme and causing confusion in their areas. The president knows what he is doing for security reasons. Ndc have not come to terms with the fact that Ghanaians have humiliated them by voting gargantuan lyrics to send them away,they think Ghana belongs to the ndc and must rule at all cost to ste*l state resources with nobody saying anything because it is their right. My advise to them is to behave like they are gone and going to stay in opposition for 40 years. Who told them they can take Ghanaians for granted and misuse them? The party hated in Ghana today is the ndc and they wish there is no party called ndc hence even when they cry people insult them but they won't keep quiet to show a new life. Ndc are just annoying.
Not sure gov't will appoint people to take up these position soon. They could have stayed on with a stern warning for about a month or 2 and properly handover to the in-coming properly. But politics in Ghana does not allow us to use our faculty upstairs objectively, but think party.......
VERY SOON THEY WILL SEND THEIR INVINCIBLE FORCES TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES!!