The Member of Parliament for the Obuasi West Constituency, Kweku Agyemang Kwarteng, has reiterated his strong support for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), arguing that such a move would enhance accountability and strengthen local governance.
According to him, electing MMDCEs would make them directly accountable to the people they serve rather than to the President, as is currently the case under Ghana’s decentralisation system.
Mr Kwarteng made these remarks while addressing members of the General Assembly of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly during the First Sitting of the Third Session of the Assembly.
Defending his position, the MP noted that elected MMDCEs would be better placed to resist what he described as unlawful deductions from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) at source.
He argued that the current arrangement, where MMDCEs are appointed by the President, often makes it difficult for local authorities to challenge such deductions despite their adverse impact on assembly operations.
He maintained that some of the deductions result in assemblies receiving items and projects that do not align with their immediate development priorities, leading to the inefficient use of public resources.
“The problem has persisted under successive governments in the Fourth Republic,” he observed, adding that the practice has deprived assemblies of much-needed funds intended for local development.
Mr Kwarteng believes that electing MMDCEs would empower local assemblies to exercise greater control over the utilisation of the DACF, which is a constitutionally mandated source of funding for local government administration.
The Obuasi West legislator further disclosed his intention to challenge the legality of the source deductions in court. He indicated that he is considering seeking a declaration from the Supreme Court against the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund regarding the deductions.
The issues came up during the ongoing meeting of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, where the MP, who is also a member of the Assembly, responded to questions from assembly members.
The two-day meeting is expected to conclude on Friday, June 4, 2026, with the Municipal Chief Executive, Faustilove Appiah Kannin, scheduled to deliver her sessional address.
Ernest Offen, ISD.
Obuasi
