Mahama Releases Third Batch of District Chief Executive Nominees

• A third batch of District Chief Executive (DCE) nominees has been released for the Savannah, Bono East, and Greater Accra regions
• Among the notable names, Ebi Bright, a losing parliamentary candidate in the 2024 election, has been nominated to be the Tema Mayor
• Michael Kpakpo Allotey has been nominated by the president as the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive

The government has released a third batch of District Chief Executive (DCE) nominees.

The latest nominations are for the Savannah, Bono East, and Greater Accra regions.

The new nominees are subject to approval by their respective district assemblies.

The National Democratic Congress Dean of Communicators, Richard Kirk-Mensah, confirmed the nominations to Yen.com.gh.

Among the notable names, Ebi Bright, a failed parliamentary candidate, has been nominated to be the Tema Mayor.

Citi News reported that some supporters of Ebi Bright have welcomed her nomination, pointing to her experience, visibility, and commitment to development in the area.

Michael Kpakpo Allotey has been nominated as the Accra Mayor while Ludwig Totimeh has been nominated as the Municipal Chief Executive for Tema West.

Bright's nomination preceded some controversy as some youth groups in Tema Central have staged protests in anticipation of her nomination.

Before the latest dispatch from the Presidency, 153 of the 261 local government heads were nominated by President John Mahama.

The President nominated the first batch of District Chief Executives for eight out of the 16 regions on March 26.

A second batch followed on April 5, but the government did not disclose when the remainder would be made.

What is Michael Kpakpo Allotey's plan for Accra?

At the heart of Allotey’s plans is commitment to urban sanitation and waste management.

To achieve this, the nominee proposed the launch of a Clean Accra Initiative within the first 100 days of his tenure.

This initiative will feature monthly community clean-ups and a partnership with waste management companies.

The initiative will also include the development of a Digital Waste Management Reporting App, pilot recycling hub and a waste management reward.

Kumasi mayor courts controversy

A week into taking office, Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori-Agyemang Boadi threatened to lash traders operating on pavements in the central business district.

Boadi said his approach to managing Kumasi would borrow from military governments

“I have my own military-democratic style, which I will be implementing. When we say leave the space, and you don’t leave the space, and I get there, and you are there, and my boys are with me, we will beat you."

Boadi also wants to crack down on stray cattle in the metropolis. He warned that stray cattle would be seized and killed, and used to feed inmates at the Kumasi Central Prison starting from May 1.

The mayor urged all herders to keep their animals out of the metropolis to avoid the severe consequences.

He was confirmed as the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly on April 10.

What is Mahama's vision for local government?

During his campaign to be president, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party leader asserted that the Akufo-Addo administration had re-centralised local government, resulting in late and insufficient transfer of resources, poor local-level participation, insufficient financial flows and weak and non-performing assemblies.

His manifesto ahead of the 2024 election pledged to decentralise local government with new policies like paying monthly consolidated allowances to all Assembly members.

The Mahama administration also wants to strengthen local-level participation through the election of district chief executives on a non-partisan basis by amending articles 243 and 246 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.

Ebi Bright speaks on Tema mayor nomination

Yen.com.gh reported that Ebi Bright expressed her joy on social media after the third batch of MCE nominees was released.

Bright is a former actress and has represented the NDC for the Tema Central parliamentary race in the last two elections.

The Tema Metropolitan area has a population of 177,924, as of the 2021 census.

It borders Kpone Katamanso and Ningo-Prampram Districts to the northeast, Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal to the southwest, Adentan Municipal and Ga East Municipal to the northwest, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh