Accra, Aug 26, GNA – Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, has reiterated the Government’s commitment to seeing to the election of metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs).
“We are going to work and build consensus towards amendment of the relevant articles for the election of MMDCEs,” Hajia Mahama said on Wednesday in Accra, when she took her turn at the meet the press series to outline the state of affairs at her Ministry.
“We haven’t given up on the election of MMDCEs. We cannot give up. We believe that effective decentralization has to do with electing our MMDCEs and we have to be clear about that. We shouldn’t behavior like ostriches.”
Hajia Mahama who was throwing more light on the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2020 Manifesto, stated that the NPP was committed to the process of electing the MMDCEs; declaring that “but we also understand that we have to build consensus before we can amend the various entrenched provisions before a referendum can take place”.
“And we are working on that; to build consensus towards the amendment of the constitution and other consequential laws to allow for the direct popular election of MMDCEs on a partisan basis and devolve more powers to local authority.”
She said, it was her prayer that stakeholders, especially political parties would put Ghana first whether the attainment of the election of MMDCEs was going to be delivered under Nana Akufo-Addo’s Government or any other Government.
She recalled that in 2019, a road map to guide the referendum process for the election of MMDCEs was developed and following Cabinet approval, stakeholder consultations and sensitization were conducted across the country and the processes for amendment of relevant provisions of the Constitution (Articles 55(3) and 243) commenced.
Hajia Mahama noted that the President, directed the withdrawal of the Bill in Parliament citing lack of broad national consensus among key stakeholders and section of the populace on a matter as important as the amendment of an entrenched provision of the Constitution.
Concerning decentralization, the Minister said a National Decentralization Policy and Strategy (2020-2024) had been developed to foster quality service delivery through a decentralized local governance system and active citizens’ participation.
She noted that policy seeks to deepen local level democracy and participation through the active involvement of citizens and state and non-state actors in decision-making and plan implementation.
She said it also sought to improve the administrative and human resource capacity of the local government system and structures for quality service delivery.
GNA