Accra: October 26, 2021: The Head of the Local Government Service, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur attended the maiden orientation program for newly appointed Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Accra. The program was under the theme “effective leadership for local economic transformation and improved service delivery in Ghana: The role of MMDCEs”. The event was also attended by Members of the Council of State, Regional Ministers, Members of Parliament, Heads and Chief Directors of various institutions.
The program was organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGD&RD) in partnership with the Office of the President, Office of Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS), the Inter- ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD), Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) and the Office of the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).
Participants were equipped with understanding of the legal and institutional arrangements for effective local governance; the leadership, managerial, and administrative skills necessary for effective job performance; and personal conduct. The program afforded participants the opportunity to build networks and mutually share experiences for personal and professional support.
Opening the program, the President of the Republic and Special Guest of Honour, H.E. Nana Addo Danquah the Akufo-Addo lauded the participatory nature of Ghana’s decentralisation and local governance program to deliver improved service delivery. He urged the MMDCEs to collaborate and work effectively with key stakeholders within their localities to deliberate on issues of common interest which according to him is critical to curb unnecessary conflicts.
Other speakers that addressed the opening ceremony included the Minster for Local Government, Decentralization- Hon. Dan Kwaku Botwe; the Regional Minister for the Greater Accra Region, Hon. Henry Quartey and the Volta Regional Minister Hon. Dr. Archibald Letsa.
The opening ceremony was chaired by the Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II and moderated by the Minister for Information, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah. The presentations were interspersed with plenary sessions during which the questions and concerns of participants were addressed.
The orientation program will be implemented in three phases and this will include a general orientation for all appointed MMDCEs; orientation for only first-time appointed MMDCEs; and a nationwide zonal refresher course for all MMDCEs at designated training centres across the country.