The chairman of Council of State, Nana Otu Siriboe II has admonished the newly appointed and continuing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) not to be armchair administrators.

According to him, the MMDCEs must endeavour to visit the various localities that fall under their assemblies and avoid operating from Accra or the big cities of the country.

He was speaking at the orientation of the newly appointed MMDCEs held in Accra yesterday under the theme: “Effective leadership for economic transformation and improved service delivery in Ghana: the role of MMDCEs.”

The chairman added that this way the MMDCES will acquaint themselves with issues and development challenges of the areas.

Since the MMDCEs are core to decentralisation, he expects them to be well informed with all government policies and necessary laws to discharge their duties, stressing that they should educate the locals about government policies, especially the budget.

Nana Otu Siriboe II further urged the MMDCEs to avoid needless confrontation with the chief, youth, Member of Parliament and the people in general, as “if you give them respect, you will win their respect. If you want to be feared, fear them first.”

He reiterated that as the basic ingredient of human relations is respect, they must always remember that they are going to serve and not to be served.

Sector Minister

Dan Kweku Botwe, Minister for Ministry of Local Government, decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGD&RD), on his part, said 11 out of 261 MMDCEs appointed by the president are yet to be approved by their various assemblies.

Whilst he hoped the few received approval from their assemblies, charged those who were fortunate to be appointed to be guided by the direction of the president.

With this he urged them to familiarise themselves with the Local Government Act, therefore, the essence of the 4-day orientation was to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve their performance.

He said the ministry has divided the country into four zones to further educate the MMDCEs on their roles for effective performance development.

Greater Accra Minister

The Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey commenting on the theme said effective leadership is a responsibility and the main driver for the growth, development and innovation that the country desires. 

He added that MMDCEs are the representatives of the president in their jurisdictions and are responsible for the day-to-day performance, hence they need to provide clear and concrete actions.

“MMDCEs must be visionaries and be on top of issues to lead the implementation of government policies and programmes for improved quality service delivery for citizens. Bearing in mind that, in our era of democracy, the citizens have become more aware of their rights and are demanding quality service delivery, respect, fairness and accountability from public servants.”

“We, therefore, expect MMDCEs to perform their duties satisfactorily and not be giving flimsy excuses. They must have a strong drive to develop and improve themselves.”

By Akutu Dede Adimer