Akim Oda Member of Parliament (MP), Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has highlighted poor treatment of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) as one of the major weaknesses of the previous administration.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he admitted that the Akufo-Addo government failed to provide adequate attention and welfare support to the very officials who drove its work at the grassroots level.
“This neglect contributed to frustration and apathy among many MMDCEs across the country,” the former Deputy Health Minister said.
“I must admit the Akufo-Addo-led government did not take care of and treat our MMDCEs well. It is part of the reason there was apathy and anger among them because they are at the grassroots and help to support the people,” he added.
Acquah explained that salary cuts during the COVID-19 period and other fiscal challenges hit MMDCEs hard. Some officials were reportedly taking home as little as GH₵5,479 a month — an amount he says did not reflect the weight of their responsibilities.
“We did not increase their salaries. Their pay was deducted, and naturally some are still unhappy to this day,” he noted.
The Deputy Ranking Member on the Local Government and Rural Development Committee said the new Mahama administration is now addressing these welfare gaps by reviewing and increasing MMDCE salaries to match the demands of their work.
He stressed that for any government to succeed at the local level, the officials managing day-to-day governance must be treated fairly and adequately resourced — a lesson the country cannot afford to ignore.
ALSO READ:
