Deputy Local Government Minister-Designate reignites calls for MMDCEs election

Vincent Ekow Assafuah, a Deputy Minister-Designate for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, has reignited the call for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

He made the call on Monday during his vetting before the Appointments Committee of Parliament in response to a question on the election of MMDCEs.

Assafuah noted that in most countries around West Africa, Ghana seemed to be the only country that was not electing its MMDCEs.

He said Article 243 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana allowed for the election of MMDCEs and that Article 55 disallowed the appointment of MMDCEs on partisan lines.

“My opinion is that there should be an election of MMDCEs so as to ensure proper accountability to the persons that elect these MMDCEs,” he said

This, he said, was because it brought about a social contract that was signed by the elected and the electorate; saying “that within these four years, this is what I demand of you.”

He also expressed the opinion that the election of MMDCEs should be done on a partisan basis by amending Article 243 of the 1992 Constitution and Article 55 of the Constitution, stating that by so doing Ghanaians would have a better society.

Touching on the menace of illegal mining (galamsey), the Minister-Designate said the Government was doing well despite the numerous challenges it was facing in its efforts to combat it.