The selection process for the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Central Region saw limited participation from women.
As part of preparations for the MMDCE appointments, the leadership of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) instructed interested individuals to submit their names for vetting at the regional level, which would then be forwarded to the president.
However, when the vetting concluded on Thursday, only five women were shortlisted out of the total of seven.
Addressing the media, Regional Chairman Prof. Richard Asiedu stated, “Many women did not participate in the process, and we were concerned about the minimal numbers. It got to a point where we had to loosen the criteria to allow more women to pass through because of the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill.”
“Due to the 30% quota for women’s representation in governance, we tried to increase the number of women participating. Unfortunately, the final number was just five,” he added.
The vetting process took place from January 14th to 16th at the regional office of the NDC.
In a related matter, Daniel Bassey, a member of the NDC in the Awutu Senya East Constituency, urged the national leadership to initiate an independent investigation into the vetting process in the Central Region.
Bassey’s request followed allegations of corruption and favoritism directed at the regional chairman during the selection process.
He alleged that the chairman manipulated the process to favor those loyal to him.
“During the vetting process, it became apparent that the principles of fairness and meritocracy, which the NDC has championed over the years, were compromised. Reports suggest that the process has been reduced to a mechanism for rewarding loyalty to the Regional Chairman, Prof. Richard Asiedu, rather than prioritizing candidates based on their competence and ability to serve their communities effectively,” Bassey stated.
“Additionally, there are credible allegations that the vetting process has been monetized, with financial inducements reportedly influencing the recommendations sent to the national level,” he added.
“This approach risks creating divisions within the party, undermining its unity, and jeopardizing our collective effort to secure a resounding victory in the next elections.”
Bassey emphasized that the regional chairman’s actions could create fractures within the party, weakening its unity and threatening their collective push for NDC’s success in the upcoming elections.
The regional chairman, however, rejected these claims, labeling them as frivolous and unfounded.
He clarified that both constituency and regional party executives had participated as witnesses in the vetting process, and the allegations were far from accurate.
He defended the vetting process, calling it one of the fairest and most transparent in the region.