In an interview on Adom FM’s Midday News, Kasiebo is Tasty, Mr. Amponsah acknowledged that the announcement was sudden.

However, he stated that they anticipated this outcome once there was a change of government following the December 7 election.

“We were expecting this, but it is not surprising. Whether it came late or not, nothing would have changed. Bawumia conceded defeat, and we all prepared ourselves, but we didn’t expect it to come today,” he stated.

President John Mahama, on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, revoked the appointments of all Chief Executives of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

This was outlined in a letter signed by the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, and addressed to the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development.

Following the revocation, the Coordinating Directors of the various MMDAs have been directed to assume responsibility as acting Chief Executives until substantive appointments are made.

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According to them, party faithful must work with the nominees for the betterment of the assemblies and the country at large.

The group called Coalition of MMDCE Aspirants (COMAS) wants supporters who are on vandalism and rioting spree to accept and respect the President’s decision as they have accepted it.

There have been pockets of chaos and violence in some areas following the release of the list last week.

Notable among them is the Chereponi case where the youth went on a rampage, destroying party property to register their displeasure about the nominee, Zowera Mada Nshiru.

But COMAS says these agitations are not necessary because the President couldn’t have selected every aspirant.

President of COMAS, Emmanuel Frimpong Oberempong, said they will support the appointed nominees to work hard.

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“We advise our colleagues to accept the president’s decision. There were many aspirants in many of the constituencies and the President could not have appointed us all.

“We are calling for calm among aspirants who were not appointed, let us all unite and not sit on the sidelines but rather collaborate with the appointees to work hard for the party,” he said.

According to him, President Akufo-Addo makes the appointment based on competence and the abilities he believes they possess and can help the growth of the country.

“There is no law that permits MMDCEs to be nominated by a committee. The law says it is the preserve of Akufo-Addo to nominate them. Those going on rampage over the nomination of some MMDCEs should be condemned,” he said.

The President, through Mr Botwe, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere constituency, Sunday announced the nominees for the MMDCEs positions.

If approved by their respective Assemblies, they will assist Akufo-Addo at the local government level during his second term.

Out of the 260 nominees, 38 are females whereas 222 are males.

The announcement has since been met with fierce resistance in parts of the country coupled with vandalising of party property.

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But, reacting to the development on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr Botwe said the MMDCE position is an opportunity to serve the nation, hence there is no need to engage in violence when a preferred candidate has not been selected.

“It is normal for people to stand against some of the nominees but I don’t think it is that widespread. Those protesting over the nominations of some MMDCEs are a handful. It is not too significant,” he stated.

According to Mr Ephson, the best option for the assemblymen and women of the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies is to vote against the president’s nominees if they are unhappy about the list.

To him, vandalising property betrays the up-to-no-good scheming of some interested political elements who have paid people to cause mayhem.

His comment comes on the back of pockets of disturbances that have greeted the president’s list of MMDCEs across the country.

At Chereponi in the North East Region, some angry youth on Sunday, 19 September 2021, destroyed some structures over the nomination of Zuwera Mada Nashiru as the District Chief Executive.

The youth preferred S. K. Orlando.

The timely intervention of the district police de-escalated the tension.

Reacting to this development on Accra-based Class FM, Monday, Mr Ephson noted that destroying property was not the solution to getting the president to change his mind about his nominees.

The pollster stated that: “If those supporters are actually on the ground, it will be reflected in the voting to confirm the MMDCEs.

“If people are not paid to go out and demonstrate against the president’s choice and the person is popular, the various assembly members are voted in, so, ‘if I support Mr A and Mr B is chosen and I’m angry, I’ll tell my assembly member not to vote to support this person; if you do, the next assembly election I’ll not vote for you.’

“This is where the reflection will be because those who are agitating how many of them are actually footsoldiers?

“So, if you’re angry and the district assemblies work at the grassroots level, then there’s no need to demonstrate. They’ve been hired and paid and, unfortunately, it is not going to help them because the long period has given an opportunity for them [MMDCE nominees] to be able to gather their things well …,” he stated.

Asked who had been paid, Mr Ephson said the demonstrators.

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“They have been paid to demonstrate. If you are actually on the ground, tell your assemblyman not to confirm the president’s nominee.

“There’s no need shouting and destroying offices. If the person is on the ground, you, the aggrieved people, tell your assemblyman: ‘Don’t pass this nominee’.”

The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Daniel Botwe, is expected to receive the list on Thursday morning.

The Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Eugene Arhin, announced the development in a Facebook post.

“Expect the list to be announced by the Minister very soon,” Mr Arhin wrote.

In January 2021, Akufo-Addo directed all MMDCEs to remain at post until new ones are appointed.

After nine months into his second term, he is yet to announce his MMDCEs, a development that has raised concerns about the effective operations of the metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies.

However, the President during his two-day tour of the Western North Region made his first appointment and confirmed Mr Yawson Amoah as the new District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Akontombra district.

Read the post below:

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In January, President Nana Akufo-Addo directed all MMDCEs to remain at post until new ones are appointed.

After eight months into his second term, he is yet to announce his MMDCEs, a development that has raised concerns about the effective operations of the metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies.

But Chairman Kwadwo Boateng-Agyemang says the delay has not in any way brought the government to a halt, hence people should relax.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, he said people must be more concerned about what has accounted for the delay instead of creating controversies.

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Meanwhile, over 1,300 persons have applied for the MMDCE vacancies nationwide.