President Akufo-Addo yesterday released the list of some 260 nominees who when approved by their assemblies to fill the vacant positions of Chief Executives in the various Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) across the country.
The list brings to an abrupt end days, weeks and months of speculation and wild rumors on social media over who the president intends to hire or fire.
The list brought surprises and shocks as big names popped up on the much anticipated list.
In Ashanti Region for instance the NPP’s Ashanti Regional Secretary, Mr. Sam Pyne was appointed as the Mayor of Kumasi.
Sam Pyne is expected to take over from the outgoing Mayor, Mr. Osei Assibey Antwi.
The former Member of Parliament (MP) for Nhyiaeso, Kennedy Kamkam, has been nominated as the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Asokore Mampong in the same region.
In the Greater Accra Region, Mr Boye Laryea, retained his appointment as the Municipal Chief Executive of Okaikwei North while Madam Elizabeth K. T. Sackey a former Member of Parliament for Okaikwei North has been appointed as mayor of Accra with Kofi Ofori heading to Ablekuma North as MCE.
Fred Offei is heading to Shai Osudoku as MCE Latif Amanor for Ningo Prampram while Samuel Nii Agyei Taiwuah for Korley Klotey Municipality.
Out of the number, 38 are women with the remaining 222 being men.
The Greater Accra region topped the list of regions with the highest number of women MMDCEs. It had eight (8) women
MMDCEs. It was followed by the Eastern and Ashanti regions with five (5) and four (4) respectively.
Western North and Ahafo regions did not have any women on their list.
The Minister for Local Government Decentralization and Rural Development, Dan Botwe made the announcement at the Ministers Press Briefing organized by the Ministry of Information yesterday.
He said the list had been thoroughly vetted and that all the people who made it are competent to represent the President at the local level.
Mr. Botwe asked Ghanaians to accept the list in good faith and abstain from violence, should their preferred candidate not be selected.
MMDCEs are appointed by the President with not less than two-thirds of the Assembly present and voting in the meeting as stipulated by Article 243 of the 1992 Constitution.
When approved, they will provide political and administrative leadership in the country’s local government architecture.
The newly appointed MMDCEs were urged to bring onboard their expertise and work hard at transform local governance
In January, President Akufo-Addo directed all MMDCEs to remain at post until new ones are appointed.
In view of the delay, the government was criticised for the lack of progress in appointing new MMDCEs eight months into a new administration.
Subsequently, the South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, dragged the government to court over the continuous stay of MMDCEs in office eight months after a new administration came into office.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo has no constitutional mandate to direct MMDCEs to remain in office in an acting capacity.
The President had indicated that the list of MMDCEs will be released this month.
“This month of September, all these matters will be resolved… in the course of this month, it will be done,” President Akufo-Addo said in response to a question on the matter in an interview with Skyypower FM in Takoradi as part of his tour of the Western Region.
He said the necessary consultations were ongoing to pick the right persons for the assemblies.
The official position of the presidency on the delay in appointing MMDCEs has been that it is not hampering development at the local government level.
Speaking on the delay, the President said “there is the need for broad consultations and that is what I have done. We have set up committees at the regional and national levels to make recommendations for me.”
“I have to really make sure the recommendations fit the political purposes of the government and respond to issues of competence, political suitability and all of these things.”