MDCEs in Eastern Region advised to attend planned regional events

The Eastern Regional Coordinating Council (ERCC) has held its second regional council meeting and appealed to Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) to participate in scheduled regional programmes.

The meeting was organised in accordance with Section 191 (1) of the Local Governance Act of 2016 (Act 936).

“The Regional Coordinating Council shall meet at least twice a year and shall hold any other meetings at the times and places determined by the Chairperson,” the act stipulates.

The coordinating council handed a citation of honour to the Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipality for coming in first place in the budget hearing held for all 33 MDAs in the region on October 25–28, 2022.

Mr. Seth Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister, said MDCEs must demonstrate dedication to all regional activities since their refusal to attend organised programmes had hampered the region’s progress.

He mentioned the low participation of MDCEs at the regional and national Farmers’ Day celebrations held in the region, as well as the regional celebration of the festival of arts and culture.

On the release of funds, the Regional Minister said: “The year began on a bad foot for us as there were delays in the releases of funds for our programme.

“The antecedental high prices of goods and services and the high rate of fuel prices, as well as the instability of the cedi, caused a major disruption to a number of our programmes.”

Mr. Acheampong added that road contractors laid down their tools and left their sites because “we owe them, and they said they will return to work if the debts are cleared.”

Despite the region’s many obstacles, it finished second among 16 Regions in the 2021 National Performance Contract Evaluation, with a rate of 96.25 percent.

He hailed the region’s new performance assessment position as a “significant improvement” over the region’s previous ranking of 13th with a percentage of 63.7 percent in 2020.

He cited other current initiatives, such as the construction of a three-story office structure in Nkawkaw for the Kwahu West Municipal Assembly and the installation of 15,000 streetlights in MDA towns.

Mr. Acheampong said the Common Fund Administrator was supporting the ERCC to reconstruct the Oda Market, adding, “adverts have been done and very soon tenders will be opened for the implementation process to start.”

He applauded the MDCEs for their dedication to attaining a common objective but urged them to attend regionally planned activities since “apathy helps nobody; we have to work together to achieve something together.”

The Eastern Regional Coordination Council aims to see the region become more peaceful, progressive, and developed.