The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has cautioned Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) that those who fail to deliver on their responsibilities will be dismissed by March 31, 2026.
He said the government would not tolerate poor performance or a lackadaisical approach to duty, stressing that MMDCEs were expected to focus on implementing government policies and programmes at the district level.
Mr Ibrahim issued the warning during a familiarisation visit to the Bono Regional House of Chiefs in Sunyani last Monday. He explained that initiatives such as the 24-hour economy were designed to accelerate national development and improve the living standards of citizens.
He urged MMDCEs to prioritise sanitation and invest in key infrastructure, including Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, school blocks and agricultural projects.
The minister, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Banda, advised the MMDCEs against being armchair administrators and encouraged them to be proactive in the discharge of their duties.
“Don’t always sit in your office. If you are an MMDCE and you fail to do your work well, by March 31, 2026, you will be sacked,” he warned.
He explained that the dismissals would be based on performance assessments by the Social Accountability Committee (SAC) and reports from the government’s accountability committee.
Mr Ibrahim added that President John Dramani Mahama had also cautioned ministers and other appointees against poor work attitudes, noting that government officials were working around the clock to deliver on their mandate.
“All the 60 ministers are working 24/7. The President himself hardly sleeps. We were given the mandate to work. As an MMDCE, are you implementing government policies?” he asked.
On funding, the minister said the government had released the entire 2025 District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) to the assemblies, adding that MMDCEs therefore had no justification to complain about a lack of funds.
He also said the government had paid the three per cent allocation for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and would increase it to five per cent this year.
Mr Ibrahim disclosed that an eight-member committee, chaired by the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, had been formed to review applications from municipal and district assemblies seeking elevation.
He further indicated that ministries, government appointees and MMDCEs would soon account to the public under the government’s accountability exercise, and urged district chief executives to ensure transparency to avoid sanctions.
At the event, the President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, congratulated Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on his re-election as the New Patriotic Party’s flag bearer.
“On behalf of the house, I want to use this platform to formally congratulate Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for emerging as winner in the just-ended NPP presidential primary,” he said, adding that the other contestants also performed well in the race.
