Mahama Must Be Guided By National and Party Interests In His Appointment of MMDCEs – Moshake

A former Executive of the Tema East Constituency branch of the ruling National Democratic Congress, (NDC) Stephen Ashitey Adjei, alias Moshake, has warned that President John Mahama would greatly harm the NDC if he allows himself to be swayed by certain parochial interests in his appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

In a statement released on social media, Ashitey Adjei warns that if the president succumbs to any given interest, the inherent implication will be that he will be creating discontentment in opposing interests.

“His Excellency President John Mahama must therefore, be guarded by the over-arching national interest in his appointments,” Moshake wrote.

According to him, satisfying the national interest would ultimately inure to the benefit of the NDC since such stratagem will appeal to floating voters.

“If any lessons can be learned from the 2024 elections, it is that floating voters are the true kingmakers in our politics. This constituency is what the president must aim to appease with his MMDCE appointments,” he said.

Moshake’s advice comes in the wake of increasing agitation and open demands by some interests, especially, traditional rulers, for President Mahama to ensure that his appointees are indigenes of the district, municipalities, or metropolis that he is appointing the Chief Executives for.

According to Moshake, such parochial interests are traps that do not inure to the benefit of the country, and are actually dangerous for the political fortunes of the NDC.

“Let me use Tema as an example – if the Tema Traditional Council demands for you to appoint an indigene and you do so; you would be satisfying the interest of the traditional rulers, but do not forget that Tema is a cosmopolitan area, where the non-indigenes outnumber the indigenes.

If I am a non-indigene who believes in the NDC, fought for it to come to power and when it comes to time for appointments you tell me that the qualification criteria is to be an indigene, do you think that next time I will campaign or even vote for you?’’ Moshake asked rhetorically.

According to him, this is how the President will court disfavour for the NDC if he allows himself to be swayed by parochial interests in his appointments.

As far as the country is concerned, he pointed out that such appointments will put square pegs in round holes and ultimately, the better qualified people will not have the opportunity to serve.

Again, citing the Tema cosmopolitan area, he pointed out that, “In Tema for instance, we have the Eastern Naval Commander, we have the Regional Police Commander, the regional director of BNI now NIB, regional fire service commander, captains of industry with high pedigree, technocrats of the assembly with about 30 years working experience and several military high-ups who work in the jurisdiction. If you are appointing someone to become boss over all of them, the person must be better qualified.”

According to Moshake, “such a person should be a competent father figure without any criminal record from the secret services, around whom all interests can find a common acceptability. Rather he should appoint an individual who will not only appeal to one faction and anger another. In fact, the person should not have a character problem and must be a unifier,” Moshake added.

Meanwhile, he has called on traditional authorities to also spare the president unfair pressure in the matter of appointment of MMDCEs.

In his estimation, the practice of openly demanding that indigenes be appointed MMDCEs is not only parochial, but ultimately, divisive.

“Rather than openly make such demands, I think the better approach would be to secretly write to the president and make their requests known. This will eschew all the unnecessary divisive nativism that such open demands evoke. Secret lobbying is the right approach and that is the application of wisdom. I have always said that wisdom preserves alive its owners and that is why Proverbs 4:7 says ‘wisdom is the principal thing. So, get wisdom and with all thy getting, get understanding’.

Traditional Authorities across the country especially in cosmopolitan assemblies should have in mind that the application of wisdom to life produces joy,” Moshake wrote.