Pick competent people – Akufo-Addo told over selection of MMDCEs [Audio]

President Nana Akufo-Addo has been urged to nominate deserving people for the positions of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

Governance Analyst and a lecturer at the Central University, Dr Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, made this known on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Tuesday.

According to him, the President must appoint people with managerial skills, who have knowledge about local challenges and familiar with local problems to be able to tailor development for the people.

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Ghanaians, he noted, expect to see more development in the second and last term of President Akufo-Addo, and therefore selecting competent people is the way to go.

 “There are some people who don’t deserve to be there but because of political reasons, such persons will be appointed and trust me, that won’t help us as a country. We need people who can work and are competent for the job. Ghanaians need development and so getting the right people for the job is the best decision our President can make,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo in January directed all MMDCEs to remain at post until new ones are appointed.

According to a communiqué signed by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Opare, the MMDCEs have also been warned against taking any policy-related decision

Since the introduction of the decentralisation system in 1988, MMDCEs have been appointed by the president and approved by the General Assembly to serve as the Chief Representative of the Central Government at the local level and responsible for the performance of the Executive and Administrative functions of the Assemblies.

Generally, they are to lead the Assembly in the delivery of their mandate under section 12 of the local government act 2016 (Act 936).

By the above, MMDCEs become key representatives of the central government to exercise part of the political power already given to the President by the people of Ghana.

But the lecturer further noted that some of the MMDCEs performed well and had proven track records to maintain their positions but it is important that the best are selected for the development of the country.

He, therefore, called on the President to speedily ensure that the promise of electing MMDCEs is realised without any further delay.