When the grassroots were given the mandate and opportunity to elect their own leaders, she said, competent people were mostly like to be chosen to manage resources prudently.

It would also give power to the electorates to hold their leaders more accountable in terms of application and management of resources for the maximum benefit of the people, she added.

The NCCE Director was speaking in Wa, the Upper West Regional Capital, during a sensitization programme organised by Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC) with the support of Star Ghana to enlighten citizens about the election of MMDCEs.

Mr Kwaku Baawine, a retired Principal Security Analyst, warned that the proposed election of MMDCEs should be done cautiously, since previous referenda were marked with some violence.

He said the upcoming referendum could witness similar violence if steps were not taken to ensure inclusiveness through broader consultation with all stakeholders.

He expressed worry about ethnicity and partisan politics that have eaten deep into the fabric of the Ghanaian society to the extent that all national policies and programmes geared towards development were being politicized.

Mr Baawine said the emergence of political vigilantism, which had become the order of the day among political party supporters, making a candidate that loses the election more likely to be attacked.

He expressed the anticipation that some areas traditionally known for the two dominant political parties - the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) - voting in those areas would be base on partisan lines, describing it as not good for the country.

Naa Robert Longah, the Chief of Nadowli-Kaleo Traditional Area, applauded NORSAAC for such an informed programme for women and the youth in Northern Ghana.

“Understanding of the question is part of the answer” he said, explaining that the election would bring inclusiveness, if the people were included in the governance process and how their resources were being managed.

The 20 months programme was on the theme: “The referendum we want,” and aims to enlighten and empower women and the youth in Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions to take part in decision process involving election of MMDCEs.