It’s been some eight months since Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, was sworn into a second term tenure as the President of the Republic of Ghana; and has so far concluded with his constitutional obligation of appointing Ministers of State, their Deputies and Regional Ministers.
What seems to occupy the President currently, is the appointments of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) for various public Corporate Institutions and the constitution of new Boards for State enterprises.
But one very important, if not the most crucial component of governance—the appointments of Municipal Metropolitan and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) is still hanging in a limbo.
Although the President sometime last month, pleaded with Ghanaians to give him some time to scrutinize some of the names that have come up, this author can state on authority that there is more to the issue, than just a presidential plea.
Party General Secretary John Boadu, has given every indication yet, that the compilation of names of prospective MMDCEs had since been handed over to the presidency for consideration and approval. So what really is stalling the MMDCEs appointments process?
Underground hounds made by this author show that there’s intense lobbying for the various MMDCEs positions by party stalwarts to the extent that the presidency is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of CVs of prospective candidates currently on the stables of the Chief of Staff.
The appointments of the MMDCEs have become more problematic because of the maneuvering of top officials of the administration; and other lobbying scheming being waged by some members of the NPP hierarchy for their preferred candidates.
The number of MMDCE aspirants, Opera News discovered, are far in excess of the existing vacant MMDCE positions. There is also, as we found out, sitting MMDCEs, who have been asked to stay on in acting capacities, but are bent on staying for another term; and are thus lobbying to get a re-confirmation from the President.
This group however, seems to be getting the flak from some party members, who believe it’s even unfair for them to hang on in acting capacities, let alone to be given another chance to serve in that capacity.
In the case of the later view point, it is argued that it’s preposterous for anyone within the acting MMDCs bracket to look forward to being re-appointed because the MMDCE position is supposed to be spread to cover many party functionaries who may have contributed in diverse ways to the current state of the NPP.
However, the most poignant cog in the rigmarole is the attempt by some elements in the party to use the MMDCEs as surrogates to support the candidature of their preferred candidate in the NPP presidential nomination, which is likely to be held sometime, late 2022 or early 2023.
A very strong view in the party is that many of the lobbyists are focused on the candidature of Dr. Bawumia, who from all indications, is also the obvious choice of the establishment. As leaders in the local areas, the appendage MMDCEs, would be expected to do the underground bidding of Dr. Bawumia and continuously work to ensure that the sitting Vice President picks the NPP nomination at all cost.
View pictures in App save up to 80% data.This writer is authoritatively informed that the nomination of Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahmoud Bawumia, is the longest shot of many big-wigs of the NPP, especially those in the administration, including the President himself.
The President only fell short of naming Dr. Bawumia as his preferred candidate in the NPP presidential nomination during a working visit to Walewale, the hometown of Dr. Bawumia sometime this year. He told the people of Wawale that their son, has been the “best assistant” since the inception of the 4th Republic.
NPP chairman, Freddy Blay could not embellish his take on the subject as the President did. He was blunt about his support for the Vice President’s presidential ambition, and even teased that there was nothing wrong with the President supporting his Vice in the NPP presidential primary.
The bigger issue however remains how some of the MMDCE aspirants will take what might seem to be arm twisting to get favoured persons of the presidency and the party hierarchy to occupy the MMDCE positions. Obviously, the numbers of the aggrieved persons, in this instance, will far outnumber and outstrip that of the favoured few, and that could set the party in collision with its own self.
Clearly, the conspiracy to get Dr. Bawumia elected may be thickening, but the fall-out of any such move, has the potential of nicking the candidate of the establishment at the tape. Really interesting days lie ahead of the NPP presidential primary.
