Ranking Member on Parliament's Local Government Committee, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has alleged that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) were not given the opportunity to give out their best during the first term of President Akufo-Addo.

Mr Nii Lantey Vanderpuye says the MMDCEs were not provided with the needed resources to undertake their initiatives. In his words, they were strangulated.

Thus, resulting in poor governance that was reflected at the government level.

Speaking on JoyNews' PM Express on Tuesday, he said "If the local assemblies do well then it will reflect in the general performance of the government. In the four years of Akufo-Addo's administration, the local assemblies, MMDCEs were not given that sort of room and opportunity to really bring out the best in them. So the government's poor performance was reflected in the poor performance of the various assemblies."

Further adding that "the assemblies were strangulated, they did not get the kind of resource they needed because of the creation of an office of the Ministry of Special Initiatives and others and the main functions of the assemblies that make the relevant within a system in local governance was taken away.

"So you see other ministries performing the functions either to have been the function and responsibility of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development."

His allegations come at a time when applicants for MMDCE roles in President Akufo-Addo's second term are yet to be appointed after eight months since the President assumed office.

The MP for Odododiodoo Constituency told host, Aisha Ibrahim that the delay in structuring the local governance system is worrying.

Mr Nii Lantey Vanderpuye noted that the inability of the President to appoint the MMDCEs is bound to negatively affect the development of the country.

He also added that "it is not good for the image of the government and it is making the work of some of us who are so much interested in local governance very difficult."