The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGRD), Dan Kwaku Botwe, in accordance with the provisions of the 1992 Constitution, yesterday announced the nomination of 260 persons for the positions of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) across the country.
The Minister revealed that out of the number, 132 are new appointees while 128 are old MMDCEs retained. The nominations of the 260 persons are expected to be confirmed or rejected by their respective Assemblies in the coming days.
Addressing the media yesterday, Mr Dan Botwe said his ministry received the list of the nominees last Friday, and forwarded same to the various Regional Ministers. This, he explained, was to aid their coordination of the approvals from the two-third majority of the Assembly members as stipulated in the Constitution.
The Minister added that President Akufo-Addo had directed the Ministry to supervise and ensure that the appointees are given appropriate approvals.
Nominees
The Ashanti Regional Secretary of NPP, Sam Pyne, has been nominated as Chief Executive for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) whilst Elizabeth Sackey will be replacing Mohammed Adjei Sowah as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Chief Executive.
The former Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister is part of the 38 women, representing 14.6 percent, who made the MMDCEs’ list.
Some female MMDCEs retained include Catherine Reckling, Sekyere South; Martina Appiah Nyantakyi, Ahafo Ano North; Diana Attaa-Kusiwaa; Nkoranza South; and Margaret Darko, Suhum.
Other new entrants include Josephine Awuku Ansaa Inkoom, Ayensuano, one of the 33 districts in the Eastern Region; Anna Adukwei Addo, Tema West; and Zuweiratu Mada Nashiru, Chereponi.
Call for acceptance
Meanwhile, the NPP has called on all stakeholders to accept in good faith the people nominated for the various MMDCE positions.
Addressing the media on Friday, ahead of the official release of the names of the nominees, the Director of Communications of the NPP, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, charged all stakeholders to welcome the list nominees.
“We expect all stakeholders, especially party executives at the grassroots level, to accept the list that will be released in good fate.
“Every nominee on the list is selected by the President, and we expect party grassroot executives to trust his judgement and support the approval process for these nominees. Of course, not everyone will have their preferred choice, however, we believe that as much as possible every eligible candidate must have had a fair bite of the election process,” he stated.
Meanwhile, four individuals were arrested over the weekend following an unlawful protest in Jamestown against nomination of Elizabeth Sackey as the new Chief Executive Officer for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.
Mahammed Nii Adjei Sowah, the outgoing Chief Executive Officer of the Assembly, has strongly denounced the unlawful protest.
No disruptions
In related development, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, and the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NPP, Divine Agorho Otoo Agorhom, have also issued a joint statement condemning the disturbances that ensued in the Ashiedu Keteke Sub Metro in respect of the list of MMDCE nominees.
“We consider, therefore, unfortunate the disturbance that ensued in the Ashiedu Keteke Sub Metro (Odododiodioo Constituency) in relation to a perceived list of MMDCE nominees which does not include their preferred choice, in which the police intervened and made some arrests.
“We appreciate the rapt intervention of the Mayor and the consequential press release to de-escalate the situation,” the statement said.
They urged “all interested persons, especially political actors of the New Patriotic Party, to desist from acts that will disrupt the processes to confirm the appointment of the President’s nominees in the various Assemblies.”
