Deputy Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Osei Bonsu Amoah says a folder containing list of eligible persons for nomination as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) has been presented to President Akufo-Addo for action.

“Very soon, he will announce it. The President has assured us that as quickly as possible, he will release the list. Let’s give him that duty to do,” he said

Almost eight months into the second term of President Akufo-Addo’s administration, MMDCEs expected to lead the implementation of government polices at the local level, are yet to be nominated.

O.B Amoah, reacting to this on Joy News PM Express on Tuesday said, there has not been much of a delay for Akufo-Addo to nominate the MMDCEs.

“He has to go through the report to be submitted by his team, and I mean he got a report less than two or three weeks ago. So I don't think there’s been too much of a delay.”

“I know people are anxious, they really want to see their MMDCEs in place and of course by the Constitution, the President would have to nominate them and then the Assembly would have to endorse them by two-thirds and if they fail, it means that we have to start all over again. That is the system that we have now and we may have to work with,” he added.

However, the former Deputy Local Government Minister, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye disagreed.

According to him, those in acting positions have limited powers, leaving development at a standstill. Therefore, the delay by government to nominate MMDCE's is affecting governance.

“I have talked to many stakeholders within the local governance system and everybody is worried about the situation we are in now, because it has created some sort of inertia within the administration of the District Assemblies. MMDCEs who were asked to act do not really know their stance, do not know what they are doing and the question has been what is their locus as at now?

"If the local Assemblies do well, then it will reflect in the general performance of the government. So the government's poor performance was reflected in the poor performance of the various assemblies. The delay is not good for the development of the country, it is not good for the image of the government.”  

A Local Governance Expert, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae is also of the view that the current development is affecting implementation of government policies at the grassroots level.

He said government's agenda to win power in the next election could partly be blamed for the delay in releasing the list of nominees. According to him, in the absence of the MMDCEs, he expects the Coordinating Directors to lead the implementation of policies.

"In the second term, the government has stabilized, the government knows its way around governance, the government has some MMDCEs in place and remember the government has also promised breaking the two term rule. So, they want to be very sure about who is appointed as Chief Executive and if you understand the governance and politics of this country, the Chief Executive doesn’t play a lot of roles, as far as a government maintaining its position or power is concerned. My only challenge is that the second term of the government is not being felt down there," he said.