The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, has hinted of a Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia-led administration revisiting the election of MMDCEs.
Despite failing to achieve the promise of having municipal and district chief executives elected over lack of consensus, the sector minister has disclosed that the flag bearer of the NPP is set to get the promise fully captured in his manifesto ahead of the December elections.
Although a 2022 Afrobarometer report contends that more than two thirds of Ghanaians wanted MMDCEs elected, government failed to achieve that objective because it wanted the exercise to be done on partisan lines.
Whilst the government wanted the election to be organised on partisan basis, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) discarded that idea indicating it should not be organised on party lines.
In an exclusive with TV3’s Komla Klutse Friday, June 14, 2024, Mr. Adjei-Mensah Korsah hinted that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will resurrect the process to get the election of MMDCEs implemented if elected President.
“We have to deepen the consensus. The president, through that duty, [has gone] back to the local government to work and build enough consensus. So the Institute of Local Governance Service in Madina (a suburb of Accra) is charged with that responsibility of engaging further with stakeholders. They’ve done some bit of work. I’m not sure where they are. But overall, they’ve been building the consensus process, meeting and engaging with people and discussing the matter.
“Now as the advisor to the manifesto committee, the party continues to live with that commitment and hope that this country moves to the point where we elect MMDCEs and make them much more accountable, much more effective,” he disclosed.
The Minister continued that the NPP government is committed to getting it done.
“And once we are going to face the electorate, you work, deliver, achieve results so that you can have a favourable outcome. So we are still committed to it. That plus others is still in our manifesto and we’ll keep pushing.
“We believe that it’s a good thing. And once we secure enough consensus devoid of partisan interest, we should be able to push this through,” he was confident.
