TWENTY out of the 21 nominees for municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs) in the Eastern Region who were recently confirmed by their respective assemblies have been sworn into office and presented with their instruments of authority.
The only nominee, Madam Ophelia Koomson, could not be sworn in because she did not get the nod for the Birim Central Municipality. However, her name appeared on the list among those to be sworn into office.
Those sworn in were Messrs Alex Kwaku Asamoah, Godfred Twum, Seth Otchere, Simon Asirifi and Alex Obeng Somuah were for New Juaben, Akuapem South, West Akyem, East Akyem and Kwahu West municipalities respectively.
The others were Messrs Adomako Asiama, George Agyeman Duah, Abass Huseini Saabe, George Opare Addo, Sammy Kwabi, Kwame Omari, Johnson Ahiakpor, Isaac Agbo and Andrew Soga for the Birim North, Kwaebibirem, Fanteakwa, Akuapem North, Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar, Kwahu South, Asuogyam, Lower Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo districts respectively.
The rest were Messrs Charles Apreku, Emmanuel Atta Twum, Tom Budu, Nana Baffour Mensah Takyi, Samuel Asamoah and Joseph Tetteh Angmor for the Kwahu North (Afram Plains), Atiwa, Akyemansa, Birim South, Kwahu East, and the Upper Manya districts respectively.
The joyous occasion brought together a number of former ministers of state and other dignitaries.
They included Mr Fred Ohene Kena, Mr D.S. Boateng, the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Ahmed Baba Jamal, the Regional Co-ordinating Director, Mr S.A. Bawa, heads of departments and security agencies in the region, traditional rulers such as Osabarima Ansah Sasraku, Chief of Mamfe, Nana Ampem Darko, Tufuhene of Akropong Akuapem who represented the Okuapehene, Oseadeoyo Addo Dankwa II as well as Mr Kofi Attoh, MP for Ho Central, spouses and relatives of the MDCEs.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who performed the ceremony, advised the new district political heads to undertake their activities in conformity with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto, which is aimed at providing the basic necessities of life to improve the living conditions of the people.
He said with their appointments, they had become servants of the people whose interest they should consider at all times but not to lord it over them, adding that any deviation would go against them.
“As the President’s representatives at the district level, and as social democrats , your approach to topical issues must be distinct when compared to strategies adopted by other parties which uphold the principle of ‘Property owning democracy”, he stated.
“This, therefore, requires that you study the NDC manifesto and appreciate the social contract that we have signed with the good people of Ghana who have voted us into power”, Mr Ofosu Ampofo stated.
On decentralisation, he said the concept was not intended to end at the district level but should be extended to cover the zonal, town and area councils as well as unit committees.
The regional minister, however, stated that unfortunately most of the structures which had been established at the grassroots level were not functioning and asked them to reveive the structures to enhance internal revenue generation for the assemblies and reduce the over reliance on the District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
With regard to the provision of offices and residential accommodation for assembly staff, especially the MDCEs, Mr Ofosu Ampofo expressed his dissatisfaction about the inability of some assemblies to provide such facilities as a result of which huge sums of money were being used to rent offices and bungalows for the officials.
He, therefore, urged the new MDCEs to use the resources available for the construction of permanent buildings for their district
Mr Ofosu Ampofo enjoined the chief executives to be humble and associate themselves with the people, be transparent and accountable in the performance of their duties and judiciously use state resources for the benefit of the people in the communities.
Mr Kofi Attoh urged MDCEs to make great improvement at least in one area such as education to help improve the lives of the people, especially those in the remote areas.
Mr Attoh also advised MDCEs to always associate themselves with the NDC party since it was through it that they got their positions and also co-operate and support the MPs in their respective areas.
Mr D.S. Boateng who also spoke at the ceremony, implored the MDCEs to identify the economic potential in their areas and develop them for the benefit of the people.
The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Alex Asamoah, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked President John Evans Atta Mills for the appointments as well as the Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who called for support for their confirmations.
Major Ted Tetteh(retd) , one-time Eastern Regional Minister, chaired the function.
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