METROPOLITAN, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Greater Accra Region (GAR) have been cautioned against negligence, complacency, and excuses in the discharge of their duties."Excuses would no longer be entertained in the provision of essential services, including sanitation, street lighting, and the enforcement of local by-laws," the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ms Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, has warned.Speaking at a "Time With the Media" encounter in Accra yesterday, Ms Ocloo reminded the MMDCEs that their stewardship was being closely monitored and would form the basis of her report to the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and the Presidency.Expressing disappointment with what she described as the inefficiency and complacency of some MMDCEs, the Minister stressed that leadership was about results and not occupying office for personal comfort."At this stage, excuses are nothing but an embarrassment to the people we serve.
I will not hesitate to recommend the removal of non-performing chief executives.
The people of Greater Accra deserve better, and they will get better, with or without you," she noted."Leadership is not about sitting in offices and enjoying perks of your position.
If you cannot manage the basics, then you have no business occupying that office," she bluntly stressed.The engagement, she said formed part of the "Reset Agenda," where government officials and agencies were expected to meet the press to provide updates on their stewardship, adding that it deepens transparency, strengthens accountability, and ensures that citizens hear directly from their local authorities.The session, she indicated, focused on three key issues: the status of streetlights across the region, progress made in sanitation management, and measures regarding wrongly placed billboards and related regulatory enforcement.On street lighting, the Minister disclosed that the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, had secured 3,000 streetlights, with each Assembly expected to receive 100.This, she directed MMDCEs to ensure all the lights were fixed within two weeks, warning that failure to comply would attract exposure and reporting to the appropriate authorities."No excuses, no delays," she emphasised.Touching on sanitation, Ms Ocloo said the sanitation situation in the region was unacceptable, blaming Assemblies for negligence despite having resources such as the sanitation component of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), stressing that some Assemblies have failed to recruit the needed youth to undertake clean-up exercises and desilting of drains.On regulatory enforcement, the Minister criticised Assemblies for failing to check the mounting of illegal billboards, which she said were springing up indiscriminately and posing safety risks.She directed Assemblies to enforce by-laws without fear or favour, urging them to work with the Police to curb the rising theft of metal drain covers."Stop waiting for instructions before acting.
