Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, a Principal Lecturer at GIMPA, on Monday stressed the need for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to periodically upgrade themselves to enhance their competencies.
He noted that since MMDCEs would be supervising medical doctors and Engineers, among other high calibre professionals, it would be necessary for them to have certain basic competence requirements.
Mr Ahwoi was speaking at a public awareness lecture on the Decentralization Process on the Significance of Legislative Instrument (LI
1961) in Koforidua.
Key stakeholders like Municipal/District Chief Executives, Regional and District Heads of Departments, Traditional Authorities and other core staff of the assemblies attended the lecture, which took them through LI 1961.
The lecture was on the topic: "One Step Forward, the Significance of LI 1961 in Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAS) Capacity Building."
He urged all MMDCEs to study hard reminding them that if they do not have the stature, they would call meetings only to be boycotted by other
heads of departments who felt the MMDCEs were of little "straw".
Mr Ahwoi advised Coordinating Directors not to take unlawful instructions like applying Common Funds on unlawful purposes from their
MMDCEs and said: "Obedience to unlawful instructions is indefensible".
Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, reiterated the commitment of the Government to the decentralization process.
"The government is seeking to decentralize public administration with the view of ensuring popular participation and the accelerated development of the country," said.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo indicated that as a nation it was important to focus on decentralization that sought to create a kind of democracy that would let people manage their own affairs with reference to planning, implementation of programmes and projects to better the living conditions of the people.
He suggested to GIMPA to bring capacity building workshops to the doorsteps of MMDCEs.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo called for mutual trust and closer co-operation between MMDCEs and their Coordinating Directors to facilitate the progress of the assemblies.
Daasebre Oti Boateng, Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, noted that the decentralization policy was aimed at making the country grow faster.
He said in that regard it was necessary to have competent people at the helm of affairs to be able to move the development agenda of the assemblies forward.
Osabarima Owusu Gyamadu III, Eastern Regional Representative of the Council of State, who chaired the function, expressed the view that one's loyalty to a party in power should only be one of the criteria in appointing an MMDCE.