The fourth part of Zonal programmes for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) for, Greater Accra, Volta and Oti Regions started in Ho on Saturday with the call on heads of the Assemblies to show effective leadership.In his opening remarks at the capacity-building programme, Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development Mr Dan Botwe advised the MMDCES to reflect on the words of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at their orientation in Accra in October 2021.
The President had told the MMDCEs that “Let the people see you, feel you and know you” and “a Chief Executive who is indifferent or unaware of developments in the District is not suitable for the position”.
Accordingly, Mr Dan Botwe reminded the heads of the Assemblies of their roles and responsibilities under the 1992 Constitution and the Local Governance Act, 2016, (Act 936).
The Act, he pointed out, demanded that the MMDCES should show effective leadership in their respective Districts and serve in humility to benefit the people.
“The MMDCES should always be reminded that to ensure the accountability of local government authorities, people in particular local government areas shall, as far as practicable, be afforded the opportunity to participate effectively in their governance,” Mr Dan Botwe who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere reiterated.
The Volta Regional Capital, Ho programme is the fourth in the series of zonal programmes on leadership and management for MMDCES organised by the Ministry Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development across the country.
It started January, 29, 2022 in Cape Coast, involving MMDCES from the Central, Eastern and Western Regions, to Sunyani and Tamale for 10 Regions from Ashanti to Upper West, ending in Ho for the Greater Accra, Volta and Oti Regions.
Mr Dan Botwe had indicated at Tamale that after all these capacity building programmes, the ministry will devise appropriate strategies to obtain real-time feedback from the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) on the delivery of government programmes and projects for evidence-based decision-making and policy direction at the Central Government level.
He added that the ministry will enhance the District Data Development Platform (DDDP), which is a computerised data-based system to be accessed by the MMDAs, Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs), National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Office of the Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS) and the ministry.
In addition, Mr Dan Botwe disclosed the ministry has initiated processes to develop a feedback ICT based system known as ‘DASHBOARD’ to have direct feedback from MMDCEs on pertinent issues in the MMDAs.
