CSOs addressing the media in Tamale
The Civil Society Organizations Platform for Good Governance (CSOPGG) in the Northern region has called on President Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency release names of his appointees for all the 256 MMDAs and ensure that the list is gender balance and inclusive at least 30% of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in every region should be women.
The CSOs further called on the youth of the region and other regions to reject any list that does not have at least 30% of female appointees as MMDCEs.
The CSOs expressed their dissatisfaction about the decision of the president to keep MMDCEs in acting capacity for close to a year and creating confusion in the minds of citizens as to whether they are serving their second term as per the provision of Article 246(2) of the constitution which stipulates the terms of the of MMDCEs.
According to the CSOs, the acting capacity of MMDCEs has weakened the executive authority in the assemblies adding that there is no leadership to drive revenue mobilization agenda in almost all the assemblies affecting the internal generation of funds to support the work of the assemblies.
“ Most of the MMDCEs are either operating from homes or in secluded places making citizens interactions with local authorities challenging if not impossible.”
They blamed the lack of commitment on the part of the two major political parties in Ghana (NDC and NPP) to build consensus on partisan or non-partisan election of MMDCEs to further the course of devolution of power to their rightful owners.
The Executive Director of Norsaac, Mr. Mohammed Awal who addressed journalists on behalf of the CSOs, said called for the removal of the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development , Dan Bowtei for his gross incompetence.
“ He appears to be sleeping on the job and has presided over the unnecessary and so-called acting capacity of MMDCEs which appears as though he has run out of ideas and must make way for fresh hands to do the job.”
Mr. Awal urged government to release the fourth quarter of 2020 district assembly common fund without any further delays and efforts made to release the first, second and third quarters funds for 2021 to all assemblies.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale