The Central Regional Minister, Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, has charged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region to go beyond the terms of their performance contracts, warning that non-performing officials will face appropriate sanctions.

He issued the caution when all 23 MMDCEs in the region gathered at the Central Regional Coordinating Council (CRCC) to sign their performance contracts, part of efforts to strengthen accountability, improve service delivery, and align district-level development with national priorities.

The minister stressed that the true measure of government officials’ performance goes beyond what is outlined in the contracts, urging them to show initiative and deliver results for their respective districts. He said,

“I have gone through the documents, and realised that what actually aid the performances of the various assemblies are not in there. It means that we have the key activities that will aid your performance, but what will actually support those key activities, I cannot see them.

For which reason, I think that if we are going to administratively sign this contract, then we have to go beyond the table, paper and pen. Many of you may be guided by some indicators, but there are things that will not be seen in the document which are with you. So, we need to be conscious.”

He emphasised that signing the performance contract alone would not be sufficient, noting that it must be backed by clear sanctions for non-performance.

“If we sign this and we fall short of the indicators, what are the sanctions? If we are going to deal with performance contracts like this one, signing is not enough. There should be sanctions, ensuring that those who do not perform receive the right sanctions. This will let them do what they are supposed to,” he said.

He further urged the MMDCEs to prioritise teamwork and desist from “working in isolation,” warning that a mistake by one official could affect the entire assembly.

The Regional Minister then added that assemblies must focus on delivering results, noting that he would be personally involved in closely monitoring their work to ensure high performance.

He also advised the assemblies to prioritise good client service in their interactions with the public.

“It is a business and you need to influence clients to do their bids. If someone is supposed to pay property rate, and your attitudes are annoying , they won’t even come. This has become a moral issue and not a performance issue. Our behaviour has a toll on this contract. If we have a character that cannot work with this contract, where are we going? Let us sign a moral contract within ourselves.”

He urged the MMDCEs to prioritise time management, accountability, diligence, openness, teamwork, and collaboration in order to move the country forward, and drive national development.