A Local Government expert has tasked the nation to do due diligence in choosing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, said competency, efficiency and in-depth knowledge of the decentralization concept “must always be the key considerations in the nomination and election of the MMDCEs.”

The local government concept, he said, provided the basis for realizing and achieving Ghana’s development objectives, and that it was necessary to engage competent people to handle related activities to help bring governance to the doorstep of the masses.

Addressing a workshop for Agricultural Directors in Kumasi, Prof. Ahwoi, the brain behind Ghana’s renowned decentralization concept which brought into being the Local Government Act 462, advocated a national consensus on the decentralization policy.

He indicated that with the frequent changes in government, particularly under the Fourth Republican Constitution, culminating in the changes in structures and personnel, it would not be out of place for the nation to continue looking for comprehensive measures to engender continuity in policies.

The Local Government expert stressed the need to strengthen the system, as this would consolidate the gains made to improve the lives of the people at all levels of local governance.

The programme, organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), was aimed at sensitizing the participants on their roles and responsibilities under the decentralization concept, for sustainable agricultural growth.

“Monitoring, Evaluation and Implementation of Agricultural Programmes and Projects,” “Strengthening Technical Linkages and Backstopping,” “Agricultural Statistics and Importance,” “Understanding Functions of District Departments of Agriculture (LI 1961),” and “Investment Opportunities in Ghanaian Agriculture,” were some of the topics treated.

Prof. Ahwoi advised the Agricultural Directors to liaise effectively with Heads of the other decentralized departments, to deepen healthy working relationship for the achievement of their objectives.

Dr. Calistus Mahama, Head of the Local Government Service Secretariat, asked the participants to take seriously the topics for discussion, in order to be conversant with what was expected of them in local governance.