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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has advised the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to avoid conflicts with Members of Parliament, as this frustrates the work of government.
According to him, "a lot of the tension that arises in the districts and frustrates the work of government comes from the at times fractious relationship between Members of Parliament and Chief Executives. Please avoid such conflicts and let the MPs get their share of the Common Fund timeously."
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Stressing that he cannot and would not want to issue any edicts on anybody’s political ambitions, he noted that "it is enough to point out that many of the tensions between Chief Executives and MPs also start when Chief Executives want to run for Parliament."
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He continued, "I mention it as something worth keeping in mind as a possible of source of trouble. And also, do not overlook one important historical fact. The misfortunes of the ruling parties in the general elections of 2000, 2008 and 2016 had a lot to do with the collapse in relations between Chief Executives and MPs of the then ruling parties."
President Akufo-Addo indicated that "the new paradigm of effective governance demands maximum co-operation between Chief Executive, MPs and the new kids on the block, the officials of the Development Authorities. The closer and more sincere will be the co-operation, the greater and more extensive will be the development."
President Akufo-Addo made this known on Wednesday, 5 July, 2017, when he addressed an orientation programme organized for the 199 approved MMDCEs by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Government, at the Institute of Local Government Services, at Ogbojo.
The President reminded the MMDCEs that whereas the Minister for Local Government, HajiaAlimaMahama MP, has oversight responsibility for decentralization implementation and local government, Regional Ministers are also required to monitor and evaluate your performance and submit periodic reports to him.
"I expect you to accord Regional Ministers all their due respect, as they are the President’s representatives in the Regions," he added.
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The President also reminded the MMDCEs of the "new layer of accountability within government – the new Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation."
This Ministry, he told the MMDCEs, has a broad remit to oversee what is going on in the entire government machinery, and make recommendations to the President on its improvement.