The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bawku West District, James Ayamwego, has opened up about his political journey leading to his successful confirmation, describing the appointment process as both unexpected and deeply humbling for local government leadership in the Upper East Region.
Speaking on A1 Radio in Bolgatanga, the newly confirmed DCE recounted his initial reaction to the government nomination news and the extensive grassroots mobilization efforts he undertook to secure assembly members’ support for his confirmation in Ghana’s decentralized governance system.
Surprise Government Nomination for Bawku West District Leadership
Mr. Ayamwego admitted that his nomination by the central government came as a surprise, given the strong political competition he faced from other qualified candidates within the ruling party structures. However, he embraced the appointment opportunity with a sense of public service duty, viewing it as a call to serve the district he has been actively involved in through various party positions for years.
His previous roles as branch secretary, research officer for the party, and other capacities in local politics helped build his administrative experience and familiarity with Bawku West District’s political landscape and socio-economic challenges.
“When my name was mentioned as the government nominee for Bawku West District, it came to me as a surprise because looking at the caliber of people that I was competing with, I least expected that I would have been one of the nominees,” he revealed.
Strategic Stakeholder Engagement for District Assembly Confirmation
Upon receiving news of his government nomination, the appointed DCE pointed out that he promptly informed local party executives and reached out to fellow contenders for the position, requesting their political backing for a smooth confirmation process within Ghana’s local government system.
In a show of political humility and strategic community outreach, he personally visited traditional chiefs across Bawku West District alongside party leaders to formally inform traditional authorities of his nomination and seek their blessings for effective local governance.
Assembly Members Mobilization Strategy in Upper East Region
His confirmation efforts extended to comprehensive grassroots engagement, as he embarked on door-to-door visits to individual district assembly members in their homes, introducing himself personally and soliciting their support for his confirmation vote.
“While greeting the chiefs, we also had to visit individual assembly members in their homes to introduce myself to them and to solicit for their support,” he explained regarding his stakeholder engagement strategy.
These intensive community engagements, though demanding and time-consuming, formed a critical part of his political strategy to secure broad-based acceptance and democratic legitimacy ahead of the district assembly confirmation vote in Ghana’s decentralized governance framework.
The confirmation process highlights the importance of local political consensus-building and traditional authority involvement in Ghana’s district-level appointments, demonstrating effective collaboration between central government nominations and local democratic processes in the Upper East Region.
Source: A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
