Jubilee House has said the delay in appointing metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives has not disrupted local governance in any way.
The Director of Communication at the presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, told journalists at the presidency that: “I don’t think there should be any cause for concern because work is still ongoing at the various MMDA levels”.
“Currently, there is no vacuum at the various districts, metropolitan areas and municipalities because the old MMDCEs are still in office on a day-to-day basis going about their respective duties.”
More than 1,300 candidates have applied for the slots and have been vetted.
Some of them have made it onto the shortlist awaiting the final processes.
Mr Arhin said: “We are currently in the final leg where the president is going through the report that has been submitted to him”.
“I believe, through the Local Government and Rural Development Minister, that announcement will be made,” Mr Arhin added.
A few days ago, a lecturer with the Kessben University College in Kumasi, Nana Kwame Obeng Akatii, urged President Akufo-Addo to appoint Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) quickly to save local governance and public funds.
Nana Obeng, who is also the Executive Director of the Bureau of Local Governance (BuLoG) indicated in an interview with the media in Kumasi that the absence of the MMDCEs is affecting the work of the assemblies.
He said per the 1992 Constitution, the maximum duration for the acting position is six months, after which it becomes obsolete.
He quoted Section 20 of the Local Governance Act 2016, Act 936, and the 1992 Constitution, Article 243, saying: “The MMDCEs shall be appointed by the President, and it may take about 37 days or more (MSODMMAs, 2019) before the MMDCEs can start work in all the 260 District Assemblies in Ghana”.
He noted that across the country, works in the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been brought to a standstill.
As a result, the electorate are suffering because of the delay in appointing MMDCEs.
He expressed worry about why the Assemblies go to the electorate to collect revenue while the electorate are facing huge challenges in their electoral areas.
Nana Obeng said the Assembly members are also getting pressure from their communities because they are unable to seek assistance from the MMDAs due to the delay in the appointment of the MMDCEs.
He noted that if things continue the way they are, public funds will go “desolate”.
Source: Ashantibiz
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