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A total of 122 applicants from all the 13 Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the Upper East Region, who applied to become Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs), have successfully undergone a vetting process.

In instances where the number of applicants from a district exceeded five, the number was trimmed down to five through a vetting process by the constituency executives, and their names submitted to the Regional Executives, who constituted another committee, headed by Rockson Ayine Bukari, Upper East Regional Minister-designate, to vet the applicants.

The Bolgatanga Municipal and Garu -Tempane District assemblies were, however, allowed to select six candidates each. The reason is that the two assemblies have two constituencies each.

The vetting, which lasted two days, would see the shortlisting of three candidates from all the assemblies to be forwarded to Accra for onward selection of one candidate each to represent their assemblies.

The vetting committee, according to the Upper East Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Cletus Ayambire Innocent, who spoke to The Chronicle, looked for candidates’ commitment to the party, general knowledge on both party and governance, credibility, the candidates’ approach to issues, tribal balance, and likability of the candidates in their respective areas. The vetting was hit by controversies and a series of petitions that the committee had to deal with.

The Chronicle caught up with a petitioner from Bawku Central, Rockson Nashiru, who explained that he was not contacted and shortlisted at the district level by the party executive, because the Bawku NPP’s Constituency/District Chairman said he (Rockson) only campaigned for the parliamentary candidate and not the presidential candidate. He, therefore, accused the Chairman of only shortlisting his favourites.

Mr. Nashiru, who upon his petition was allowed to go through the vetting, expressed confidence in the Vetting Committee, and further stated that he is delighted to have gone through the vetting process.
The NPP’s Upper East Regional Secretary, Mr. Ayambire, indicated the petitions bordered on the modalities used in interviewing and selecting the candidates at the constituency/district level, which the committee effectively dealt with.

He, however, stated that all names from the constituencies/districts would be forwarded, alongside the three selected lists of each constituency/district at the regional level to Accra.

Mr. Ayambire called on all applicants who would not be selected, their supporters, and the general public to remain calm, since the MDCE position is not the only opportunity available. He further urged members of the public to support the selected candidates to help bring development through the various assemblies.