The Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Honorable Kwame Agbodza, has intimated President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo missed the opportunity to use the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to achieve his 30 per cent target of appointing females into his government.
Speaking on the MMDCEs list presented by Local Government Minister,;Dan Botwe, Mr Agbodza noted that although every government struggles to achieve the commitment to appoint more women into office,;President Akufo-Addo could have achieved that through the MMDCEs nomination.
“The biggest opportunity to have balanced the 30 per cent thing would have been through the MMDCE nominees. I wouldn’t blame NPP alone for this. Every government struggles to achieve whatever commitment he made in terms of women representative.”
Kwame Agbodza
Prior to the list release, the Civil Society Organizations Platform for Good Governance (CSOPGG) called on the President to ensure that the list was gender balanced and inclusive. Also, CSOPGG said “at least 30 per cent of MMDCEs in every region should be females”.
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30% of women appointment not just Ministers and MMDCEs
Countering Honorable Agboza’s statement, Former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Akuapem North, Mr. Dennis Miracles Aboagye, disclosed that the President’s goal to have 30 percent of women in his government is not limited to just Ministers and MMDCEs. However, he suggested that other government departments have been considered.
Mr. Aboagye noted the willingness of the interested women also matters to ensure the President has the percentage in his government. He also states that over 90 percent of the women who put themselves up for MMDCE appointment were accepted by the President.adaklu
“First of all, when the President speaks of 30 per cent of women in appointment,;it is not just ministers and MMDCEs, it goes to all the other appointments the President has to make. CEOs Boards,;heads of agencies, are all part. When it comes to political appointment, it is not just going to hunt for people,;it is an issue of willing and readiness of the individual to put himself up. Also
“The good news is that,;the process of this appointment is very known to all of us in Ghana. The question is how many women put themselves up and were not given? I can tell you that over 90 per cent of the women who put themselves up were given the appointments.” Also
Miracle Aboagye
MMDCEs should be elected
Besides, Mr. Aboagye suggested that the time has come for stakeholders to go back to plans to have MMDCEs elected. He noted that electing MMDCEs on a partisan basis is the best decision for Ghana’s democracy.
“That for me,;I think, is something we need to revisit. Let us have a conversation around it again and then come to a certain level of census. And so, where we have got to, this is not sustainable; we cannot continue to go down this lane. Let us give the power to the people to decide. The President has wholeheartedly put out this issue forward and he is willing to let go off this power.
“What is now left is for the legislation,;especially the opposition party in Parliament, to say as it stands now, it is in the best interest of the country.” adaklu
Miracle Aboagye
