Nominees for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executive (MMDCE) positions who hail from the same area as their Member of Parliament (MP) may not be considered for appointment, according to the Upper East Regional Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jonathan Abdallah Salifu.
Speaking to A1 Radio, Mr. Abdallah revealed that this directive is part of guidelines issued by the NDC’s national executive to the MMDCE vetting committee. The move, he explained, is aimed at ensuring a fair distribution of political power and an equitable allocation of resources across constituencies.
The guideline mandates that nominees for the position of Chief Executive of an assembly cannot come from the same community as the sitting MP. According to Mr. Salifu, this measure is intended to prevent the concentration of political authority in a single area, thereby promoting inclusivity and balanced development.
“There was something very key in the guidelines. National had said, try not to pick MMDCEs from areas where the MP comes from. We are looking at balancing,” he emphasized.
Using the Bolgatanga East constituency, which has three nominees, to illustrate his point, Mr. Abdallah stated that the vetting committee would not have considered nominating someone from Daborin [Zuarungu Central], the same community as the Member of Parliament, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine.
“So, if you want to pick a DCE, you don’t go and pick somebody from that area [Daborin] again. All three candidates from Bolga East, to the best of my knowledge, fortunately, don’t come from where he comes from. One comes from the Kulaa area, another from the southern part, and the third from the eastern part.”
However, Mr. Abdallah clarified that while this guideline is firm, exceptions could be made under specific circumstances. If a nominee from the MP’s area demonstrates exceptional competence and outshines all other aspirants, he said, the nominee may still be considered for appointment.
“Don’t also forget that we prioritize competence. So, assuming all the other aspirants have not shown competence, and he is the only one who has, even though balancing is paramount, you don’t go ahead and give the position to someone who is not competent just because they don’t come from the MP’s area. You need someone capable of managing the entire district,” he clarified.
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1MHz | Joshua Asaah | Bolgatanga