Former Kumbungu MP, Ras Mubarak, has called for urgent reforms to Ghana’s local governance system, arguing that the current practice of appointing District Chief Executives (DCEs) and Municipal Chief Executives (MCEs) undermines meaningful development at the community level.
Speaking on Citi FM on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, as part of reflections from his ongoing 163-day road trip across 39 African countries, Mr Mubarak said Ghana had much to be proud of but needed to address systemic weaknesses that hold back progress.
He criticised the appointment system for local government leaders, contending that political loyalty too often takes precedence over competence.
“There is no way you can get it right with local governance if you keep appointing DCEs and MCEs in the manner we do in Ghana. The person may have zero experience, and his only claim to fame is that he is a party loyalist who was appointed.”
“Do you think such a person can seriously tackle a community’s sanitation challenges or attract investment? It is not going to happen. These are some of the things we must reconsider,” he argued.