Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister-designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, has reiterated the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s support for the election of metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (MMDCEs) on a non-partisan basis.

This stance contrasts with the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) position, which advocates for the election of MMDCEs along partisan lines.

The planned 2019 referendum to decide whether MMDCEs should be elected was eventually suspended at the last minute.

Speaking during his vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, Ahmed Ibrahim stated that the government had identified district assemblies’ boundaries as a challenge. He added that, upon approval, the government would engage in extensive consultations to address the issues.

He also assured that the Local Government Ministry would work toward ensuring the timely release of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to enable MMDCEs to work efficiently within their jurisdictions.

On leveraging traditional leaders in the development efforts of assemblies, Ibrahim revealed that the government intended to establish the Royal Academy of Chiefs, a faculty of the University of Local Government Studies. This institution would provide capacity-building courses for chiefs, enabling them to enhance their knowledge of local governance and contribute meaningfully to the development of their respective areas.

“There will be an interface between chiefs, pastors, imams, MPs, and MMDCEs to identify the basic needs of the assemblies and collectively find ways to address them,” he added.

The nominee also indicated that the government would create a platform to bring together all former ministers of the Local Government Ministry to support the planning and development of various assemblies.

Ibrahim believes that the development of the assemblies should not rest solely on the MMDCEs but must be a collaborative effort involving all stakeholders in the area.

“Upon my approval, I will work towards ensuring a radical shift in mindset at the various assemblies, regardless of the cost, to rally the human resources in the area and accelerate development,” he stated.

The Ministry will also focus on enhancing ethical efficiency and good governance at the metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies.

Regarding plans to increase revenue for local assemblies, Ibrahim mentioned that his ministry would promote the automation of revenue mobilization to curb leakage. The government also plans to engage national service personnel to collect revenue at various assemblies, and based on their performance, they will either be retained as permanent staff or not.

In the meantime, watch as Agbodza gives details of actual kilometres of road constructed by the Akufo-Addo govt