The Minority in Parliament has hinted that it will summon the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development over the president’s delay in appointing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) for his second term.
The Caucus insisted that the situation was unduly hampering the growth and development at the local governance level and was the first time such a delay in the appointment of MMDCEs had occurred in the country’s history.
The Minority noted that the Minister, Mr Dan Botwe would be hauled before the House when Parliament resumed from recess in October and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had not released the list of MMDCEs.
According to Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodoo in the Greater Accra Region and the Ranking Member on the Local Government and Rural Development Committee of Parliament, indicated that “we are waiting if, by the time Parliament reconvenes, the list has not been given, we are going to summon the Minister to answer and tell us why the undue delay is happening.
“This has never happened in the history of the country, if this is President Akufo-Addo’s first term, we would have given him the benefit of the doubt but he has no excuse for this in his second term, the government’s lack of progress in appointing new MMDCEs eight months into a new administration which is the sole preserve of the president, per Article 243 (1) of the 1992 Constitution,” he bemoaned.
However, the Presidency has rejected claims that the delay was hampering the growth and development at the local governance level and maintained that there should be no cause for concern because work was still ongoing at the various Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Currently, it stated that there was no vacuum at the various metropolitan municipalities and districts since the old MMDCEs were still in office on a day-to-day basis going about their respective duties. –citinewsroom.com
