Mahama Signals Major Change For MMDCEs: “You May Be The Last Batch”

• President John Mahama has suggested that Ghana may pursue the election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives again
• The president said this would be part of a broader constitutional reform agenda under the new administration
• He made these remarks while speaking at an orientation programme held for the newly appointed MMDCEs

President John Mahama has indicated that Ghana may once again push for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives.

Mahama said this would be part of a broader constitutional reform agenda aimed at deepening local democracy.

During a meeting with the local government heads on June 12, 3News reported that he said they may be the last batch of such appointees.

“You may be the last batch of MMDCEs to be appointed... The National Review Committee is travelling around the country and will present its recommendations in August this year. One of the major items that has come up is the election of MMDCEs."

Mahama acknowledged that Ghanaians want to elect MMDCEs and said that this may happen within four years.

Mahama also urged the current MMDCEs to embrace collaboration with local stakeholders.

“The legitimacy and authority of the state must not only be rooted in law, but must also be felt through the lived experience of our citizens.”

The president made these remarks while speaking at an orientation programme held for the MMDCEs by the Local Government Ministry.

Mahama's vision for local government

During his campaign to be president, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party leader asserted that the Akufo-Addo administration had re-centralised local government, resulting in late and insufficient transfer of resources, poor local level participation, insufficient financial flows and weak and non-performing assemblies.

The NDC manifesto pledged to decentralise local government with new policies like paying monthly consolidated allowances to all Assembly members.

The Mahama administration also wants to strengthen local-level participation through the election of district chief executives on a non-partisan basis by amending articles 243 and 246 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.

Structure of local government in Ghana

The assemblies serve as the highest units of local government in Ghana, categorised into three types: metropolitan, municipal, and district.

There are also sub-district political and administrative structures, which are subordinate bodies of the assemblies.

These include sub-metropolitan, district, urban, town, zonal and area councils and unit committees.

They perform functions assigned to them by law or delegated to them by the assemblies.

Local government is enshrined in the constitution (Article 241/3), as is decentralisation (Article 240/2).

Article 35(5d) requires the state to take appropriate measures to ensure decentralisation in the administrative and financial machinery of government and to give opportunities to people to participate in decision-making at every level in national life and government.

The constitution also establishes the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) and provides that ‘not less than 5% of the total revenues of Ghana’ be paid into it for use in district assembly capital works.

Mahama warns MMDCEs over corruption

YEN.com.gh Mahama cautioned his appointees against engaging in acts of corruption.

He said the Ghanaian people have entrusted his administration with a mandate to ensure a judicious use of their resources and, for that, he will not countenance any misappropriation of funds from his appointees.

Source: YEN.com.gh