It’s wrong for the President to appoint DCEs, Boards, CEOs – Prof. Stephen Adei

A former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei has said it is wrong for the president of any nation to be responsible for appointing every District Chief Executive (DCE), Board member and Chief Executive Officer of public institutions.

His comment comes on the back of the pockets of violence that erupted in certain parts of the country after the president appointed some persons as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

Some youth of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) whose preferred candidates were not named, destroyed party offices and other properties at Odododiodoo and Tema Central constituencies in the Greater Accra region and Chereponi in the North East Region.

Speaking on the old-age debate about whether or not MMDCEs should be appointed or elected, Prof Adei told Kofi Oppong Asamoah on the Class Morning Show that the 1992 Constitution must be amended to reduce the winner-takes-all politics in the country but admitted it was not going to be easy.

He said: “Once again, our Constitution, despite the fact that it has served us for so long, has a lot of weaknesses because it was made to suit a dictator trying to turn himself into a civilian and keeping as much powers as possible.”

“I think it is wrong for the president of any nation to be responsible for appointing every DCE, appointing every board of public institutions, appointing CEOs; that is wrong,” he stated.

Prof Adei recalled: “I was a member of a seven-member committee appointed by the IEA with the Archbishop Palmer-Buckle and Emile Short and we came out and said there are certain things that must be changed to reduce the winner-takes-all [politics]”.

“However, it’s not going to be easy”, he admitted.

“These two tribes, which I call NDC and NPP, once they are in power, they enjoy those privileges, they become only concerned when they are in opposition and, therefore, the likelihood that they will agree on these changes is very slim.”

Prof Adei, however, commended President Akufo-Addo for making attempts to have a referendum on the election of MMDCEs, although it failed.

He said so far as the biggest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) kicks against any move to elect MMDCEs, that desire will not see the light of day.

—classfmonline