The Minister-designate of Local Government and Rural Development Hajia Alima Mahama has told the Appointments Committee of Parliament she fired the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on the orders of President Nana Akufo-Addo.
“By virtue of Article 243 (3)(b) of the constitution of the republic, H.E the president of the republic has revoked the appointment of all MMDCEs with immediate effect. In this regard, all MMDCEs are directed to hand over their relevant duties to Coordinating Directors for further instruction,” her letter to the previous MMDCEs, a few days after being named in an acting position, said.
She came under a barrage of criticisms over her actions as local government experts argue she did not have the fiat to carry out the directive.
Appearing before the Vetting Committee on Monday, she stressed the President Akufo-Addo ordered her to carry out his order.
“In the constitution, Article 58(1) says the executive authority of Ghana shall be vested in the president and shall be exercised in accordance with the provision of this constitution. Then it goes to Article 58(3), which states that subject to the provisions of this constitution, the functions conferred on the president by clause 1of this article maybe exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinate to him.
“This is what the constitution says… And once again as you have alluded, the transitional provisions 14(1) say on the assumption of office, those persons specified in the schedule will cease to hold office and it goes further to say in 14(2) that the functions of office of a person who ceases to hold office under sub section 1 shall be performed by a person so appointed by the president for the period specified in writing by the president,” she told the 26-member body.
Hajia Mahama noted: “In the letter dated 9 January, the president wrote to me, Alima Mahama, directing that I be his representative to take charge of affairs of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Following on that, he directed that by virtue of the powers vested in him in article 243(3), he was revoking appointments of DCEs and, therefore, I should go ahead and send out that letter – which I did.”
