80% Want MMDCEs Elected — Dr. Daniel Appiah Rejects Secession Fears Over Decentralization Debate
By Maurice Otoo
Governance and public sector reforms expert, Dr. Daniel Appiah of the University of Ghana, has dismissed claims that electing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) could fuel separatist tendencies in the country.
According to him, there is overwhelming public support for electing District Chief Executives rather than the current appointment system.
“About 80% of our population accepts that MMDCEs should be elected instead of being appointed,” he stressed during a Zoom discussion on Kessben Maakye’s show in Accra concerning Ghana’s decentralization policy.
Dr. Appiah questioned arguments linking the proposed election of MMDCEs to fears that districts would break away from the central government, insisting there is no evidence to support such claims.
“I can’t see any correlation between decentralization in local governance and the Kosovo narration being introduced into this debate,” he stated.
His comments come in response to concerns reportedly raised by decentralization expert Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi over possible implications of electing MMDCEs.
However, Dr. Appiah maintained that the fears are misplaced.
“We know Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi is an expert in decentralization, but I do not know how his position is connected to this debate,” he said.
He also rejected suggestions that elected district leaders could isolate themselves from national policy direction after elections.
“Is he implying that when the elections are done, the districts would isolate themselves from national policy?” he queried.
Drawing historical parallels, Dr. Appiah argued that Ghana had previously elected local government leaders without triggering calls for separation from the state.
“In the 1940s, we were electing our MMDCEs even though we had strong kingdoms, but they did not rise against the state and call for separation from government,” he explained.
He further noted that proposals for electing MMDCEs had already been designed to remain non-partisan, reducing fears of excessive political polarization at the local level.
“We have even agreed to make it non-partisan,” he noted.
While admitting that aspiring local leaders may naturally seek support from political actors, Dr. Appiah insisted that candidates cannot officially campaign on party lines.
“It is difficult to ignore the fact that people would solicit political party support, but one cannot color their bid to any party,” he added.
Dr. Appiah concluded that the decentralization policy should be discussed on its merits rather than tied to fears he believes are unrelated to Ghana’s governance structure.
