The president should not entertain errant MMDCEs

Chief Executives appointed by President Nana Akufo-Addo for the various assemblies have a lot to do to ensure the successful implementation of the ambitious programmes set out by the New Patriotic Party government for the economic transformation of the country.

Fully aware of this, the president has charged them to work hard within their localities, to deliver to reflect the change Ghanaians emphatically voted for in the election that brought the NPP to power.

As stipulated by the Constitution, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives are not only responsible for the day to day execution of the executive and administrative functions of the assemblies, but are also the chief representatives of the president in their localities.

Their actions are, therefore, seen as the direct reflection of the government or the president that has appointed them into office. This is because they are in constant and direct touch with the electorate that interpret their actions as what the government is offering them.

In this regard, for instance, a corrupt and arrogant Chief Executive creates the impression of corruption and arrogance in the minds of the electorate about the government. And such an appointee obviously becomes a damaging liability to his president and government. He or she should, therefore, not be entertained in a government that is determined to prosecute its mandate to the satisfaction of the electorate.

We are happy the president yesterday made allusion to the fact the errant behaviour of some MMDCEs contributed a significant deal to the defeat of the National Democratic Congress in the 2000 general elections, just as same happened to the New Patriotic Party in 2008.

One would have thought that with that experience, MMDCEs who were appointed to serve in the Mills-Mahama governments would have been guided accordingly. But that was not the case, and now they wish they had been given another chance to make amends.

In fact, we can safely predict that this will also not serve as any useful guide to check the conduct of some of the MMDCEs currently appointed and serving in the Akufo-Addo government. This is because when human beings, especially the naïve non-thinkers, get a taste of power, they lose all sense of analysis and direction.

Now, the signs are clear on the wall that some appointees of the Akufo-Addo government may create problems for the president if he does not crack the whip. We trust the eyes and ears of the president are on the grounds and so he will act at the appropriate time to send the signal out there that he is not ready to entertain errant people in his government.

For the MMDCEs, in particularly, as the president made reference to yesterday, they must know that they are in office first and foremost to help the president deliver to meet the needs and aspirations of the people. This means their personal ambitions should always be submerged under the collective agenda of the government. They must work to justify the confidence reposed in them by the president, keeping in mind that there are many more party activists who contributed more to the victory of the NPP in the 2016 elections and are also more qualified for the positions.

For us at the Daily Statesman, we want to reiterate our earlier caution that we will not allow any single appointee of the government to carry out acts that would contribute in sinking the Akufo-Addo presidency and create electoral problems for the NPP.

We are poised to expose errant MMDCEs in the government and we expect the president not to entertain them.