Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development
Vetting of prospective Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Western Region began yesterday in Takoradi.
In all, about 150 members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) are vying for the posts in the 22 districts of the region.
About 73 aspiring MMDCEs in 10 districts of the region were vetted yesterday, and the rest would also be vetted today.
In the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis, as many as 13 persons, including Kwentsir Sam, former Regional Secretary of the party and Yaa Pokua Baiden, Regional Chairperson of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana are vying for the various posts.
Jomoro had 12 persons, Ahanta West, 9, Prestea Huni Valley, 12, Nzema East, 6, Shama district, 7, Tarkwa Nsuaem, 5, Ellembelle, 5, Mpohor, 3 and Wassa East, one.
The vetting committee comprises a representative of the party’s national executives, regional chairman, secretary, organizer and the women’s organizer.
The rest are constituency executives and the Members of Parliament (MPs) of the aspiring MMDCEs.
Explaining further, the Regional Communications Director of the NPP, Okatakyie Amankwah Afrifa, indicated that the constituency executives were given up to January 31, 2017 to submit three aspirants to the regional executives for onward submission to the president.
“When the deadline elapsed, the regional executives started receiving petitions from some party members questioning the eligibility of some of them for the positions,” he explained.
He pointed out that the regional executives decided to make the positions open and called on all interested persons to apply after the vetting had been completed.
The Regional Communications Director of the NPP indicated that after the vetting, the list of the aspirants would be presented to the acting General Secretary of the party for onward submission to the Local Government Minister and the President.
Mr Afrifa pointed out that the aspirants had been advised to accept the outcome of the exercise in good faith and support those that President Nana Akufo-Addo would appoint as MMDCEs in the region.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi