MMDCE appointments well received — Hajia Alima Mahama
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, has said the 212 appointees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) announced last Wednesday have been “received well”.
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According to her, some incidents of resistance and agitation by residents in a few districts and municipalities against some of the appointees were expected.
So far, protests have taken place in some districts over the appointments announced by the President last Wednesday.
Protests
In districts such as Mpohor in the Western Region, some angry youth belonging to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) staged a protest against their appointee, Mr Ignatious Asaah Mensah.
In the Builsa North district, a group of angry youth vandalised the NPP office over the appointment of Mr David Afoko as the DCE for the area. According to them, Mr Afoko was not loyal to the party and did not contribute to the party’s electoral victory.
In the Atiwa West and Jomoro districts, there had been protests against the suspected appointees, but the President went ahead to confirm them. However, Hajia Mahama, who announced the President’s list of MMDCE appointees, said: “If there are reactions in some places, it is not fair to say it is ugly.”
Similar protests took place at Tolon, Zebila, Savelugu, Nanton and Sagnarigu.
In some instances, members of Parliament (MPs) in some districts have been accused of pushing and foisting their favourite candidates on the people.
For instance the MP for Mpohor, Mr Alex Agyekum, has been threatened not to step foot in the area if the President does not revoke the appointment of Mr Ignatious Asa Mensah, who’s said to have been fielded by the MP as DCE, an accusation the MP has denied.
Selection Committee
The Chairman of the MMDCEs Selection Committee, Mr Peter Mac-Manu, said he believed his team had done a good job as they held extensive consultations during the period of selection.
Some NPP activists have been up in arms over the appointments, condemning some of the President’s decisions against their wish.
However, announcing the names last Wednesday, Hajia Mahama appealed to party faithful to exercise restraint and give the appointees the needed support to develop their respective areas. ‘’If you are making an appointment for 212 people, you expect some reaction. People should be patient, it is only one person who can get it. We released a list of 212 DCEs, and at least, it is going on peacefully in 200 districts,” Hajia Mahama said, adding, “I will say the President’s choices have been received well by the large majority of the people.”
She advised persons who had challenges with the President’s choices to direct their concerns to the party’s district leadership, and not resort to violence, adding that if the action of the supporters bordered on criminality, it would be tackled as such.
Appointment of women
On women appointees, Hajia Alima Mahama stressed that the NPP government’s appointment of 36 women as MMDCEs was a great improvement of what existed in the previous government.
According to her, it was a “big improvement”, saying: “We are making progress.” Hajia Mahama stated that the previous administration had 19 women as MMDCEs.
