22 MMDCEs in N/R confirmed

Twenty-two out of the 26 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the Northern Region have been confirmed.

Four are, however, yet to receive endorsement from their respective assembly members. Out of the four, three have been rejected by their assembly members while one is yet to be confirmed.

Rejected

The three who were rejected are Mr Saaka Sayuti for West Mamprusi District, Mr Yakubu Abdulai for the Gushegu District and Mr J.K Alhassan for the Bunkprugu-Yunyoo District.

The only appointee who is yet to go for confirmation in the region is Hajia Amama Sayibu for the position of DCE for Tolon. At the confirmation ceremony at Walewale, the West Mamprusi District capital last Saturday, Mr Sayuti was rejected by members of the assembly. He polled 25 votes out of the 43 ballots cast representing 58 per cent, which was below the required two-thirds majority to become the DCE.

Assembly members

Assembly members of the West Mamprusi District, a week ago, refused to vote on the President’s appointee and the day was scheduled for Saturday, May 13, 2017, for him to be confirmed but he was rejected by the assembly members.

The others who were also rejected by their assembly members are Mr Abdulai for Gushegu who obtained nine votes out of 33 ballots cast, representing 27.27 per cent, and Mr Alhassan for Bunkprurugu-Yunyoo District, who secured 17 votes out of the 48 ballots cast, representing 35.41 per cent, all falling below the required two-thirds needed to qualify them for the positions.

New date

A new date is to be fixed within 10 days according to the electoral laws for the assembly members of the three districts, West Mamprusi, Gushegu and Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo, to vote on the appointees again.

After a third time, the President has the prerogative to either re-nominate the members or nominate different persons for the positions.

The atmosphere at the venue for the confirmation of the President’s appointee for the West Mamprusi was very calm after the declaration of the result and sympathisers who were clad in white apparel were seen wearing long faces and could not believe what was happening.

Need for confirmation

The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Sa-eed, earlier in his address, stated the need for the assembly members to confirm the appointees for the DCE positions to help speed up the development process of the districts.

He urged the assembly members to bury their differences and forge ahead in unity for the sake of the development of the district.