AUTHOR: Nicholas Solomon
The 1992 Constitution guarantees Ghana’s status as a unitary state. This means that there’ll be no regional assemblies that would give rise to a semblance of federalism.
Decentralisation ensures District Assemblies with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) as administrative heads and the Executive’s representation at the District level.
With the nomination, vetting and appointment of his Ministers and formation of Cabinet done within the time frame he promised, all that remains for the completion of President Mahama’s governance structure at all levels is the appointment of MMDCEs.
The appointment process of the MMDCEs has been going on for some time now. After interviewing and shortlisting, the candidates selected are in the final stretch of being appointed.
A cursory look at the candidates in the almost all the regions reveals a heavy representation of indigenes from the respective regions. Candidates in the northern regions being almost exclusively of northern extraction, likewise for the Volta, Ashanti and other regions.
However, looking at the list of nominees for MMDCE positions in the Greater Accra Region, it occurs that there’s prevalence of non-indigenes in some of the Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts Assemblies.
This trend is worsened by potential MMDCEs who aren’t indigenes having MPs in those areas who are also non-indigenes. This situation takes the political administration of such MMDAs and Constituencies totally out of the hands of indigenes where at least one of political authorities in such areas can be an indigenes to ensure balance.
Some argue that this trend is so because Accra and the Greater Accra Region for that matter is the most cosmopolitan city and region of Ghana. A similar argument of cosmopolitan nature can be made for the Ashanti Region; however, in that region, the MMDCEs billed for appointment are all indigenes to the best of my knowledge.
It is true that the 1992 Constitution and Ghana’s political culture frowns on politics that suggest tribalism. Appointments based on merit are what are expected. If that is the case, the same situation must cut across all regions and not just one. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
In this regard, the appointing authorities must be mindful of the fact that indigenes, in this case, those of the Greater Accra Region, contributed in no mean manner to the overwhelming electoral victory of the NDC in the region.
It is imperative that in the appointment of MMDCEs in the Greater Accra Region, Ga-Dangmes who are meritorious be considered for the position in those various MMDAs to ensure balance.
All we can say if this worthy suggestion is not heeded to is that, four years is a short time in political cycles and the Ga-Dangmes are watching!
