A group of 134 former Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) appointed under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appealed to the Ministry of Finance for payment of their outstanding terminal benefits. 

The former MMDCEs, whose tenure was extended to October 2021 pending the nomination and approval of new MMDCEs, said they had not received the terminal benefits due them after leaving office. 

In a petition addressed to Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, the group said they were instructed to remain in office at the beginning of the second term of the Akufo-Addo administration until new MMDCEs were nominated. 

It said in October 2021, 134 of the MMDCEs were not renominated for the second term and subsequently left office without receiving their terminal benefits. 

The petition, signed by Mr Leo-Nelson Adzidogah, former MCE for Akatsi South, said the former MMDCEs initially believed their benefits would be paid alongside those of their successors at the end of the second term. 

“However, to our utter surprise, our successors received their terminal benefits, but we were left out,” the petition stated. 

The former MMDCEs said their exclusion was unfair because colleagues who were renominated for the second term had received benefits covering the period from January 2021 to October 2021, during which both groups served. 

They argued that their exit from office before the end of the second term should not be used as a basis to deny them benefits for the period they served. 

The group described the situation as an oversight and appealed to the Finance Minister to give the matter due consideration and authorise payment of the outstanding benefits. 

The former MMDCEs expressed the hope that the Ministry would respond favourably to their request and take the necessary steps to resolve the matter.