The Northern Regional Minister, Adolf Ali John, has warned Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the region to raise their performance or face stricter accountability measures, after most assemblies recorded weak results in the latest performance assessments.
Speaking at the 2026 Performance Contract Signing Ceremony in Tamale on Friday, Mr. Ali John described the 2023 Performance Evaluation outcomes as “a wake-up call” for the region, noting that none of the districts achieved an “Excellent” rating.
“Not a single district attained an excellent rating. Only one managed a ‘Good’ score, while nine assemblies were rated unsatisfactory,” he said. “This is troubling and raises serious concerns about our ability to meet the development expectations of our people.”
The ceremony, held at the Residency Round Pavilion, saw Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives formally sign performance contracts for the 2026 administrative year.
Mr. Ali John disclosed that the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) itself also performed poorly in the same evaluation, a situation he said undermined overall regional performance.
“This is not just about the assemblies. The Regional Coordinating Council also fell short, and that casts a shadow over all of us,” he said.
He cautioned MMDCEs against treating the signing of the contracts as a routine administrative exercise, stressing that the agreements represent binding commitments to measurable improvement and results-driven service delivery.
“These contracts must translate into real development outcomes, not paperwork,” the Minister said, urging assemblies to set clear targets, strengthen internal teamwork and adopt efficient management practices.
Earlier, the Chief Director of the NRCC, Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, called for stronger collaboration within the assemblies, saying the success of the 2026 contracts would depend on collective effort across departments.
“The performance targets cannot be achieved in silos. Departments and units must work together and align their activities with the agreed indicators,” Mr Abudu said.
He assured participants that the NRCC would intensify monitoring and coordination to track implementation and ensure compliance with performance targets.
Mr. Ali John also warned that future assessments would be conducted with greater rigor and that assemblies and departments that underperform would be held accountable.
“There will be consequences for persistent poor performance,” he said.
Despite the disappointing 2023 results, the Minister expressed optimism that the 2026 performance cycle could mark a turning point for the region if lessons from past failures were taken seriously.
Speaking on behalf of the MMDCEs, the Municipal Chief Executive for Yendi, Muniru Sugri, pledged renewed commitment to improved service delivery.
“We are determined to work harder and deliver on the targets outlined in the 2026 performance contracts,” Mr. Sugri said.
The event was attended by presiding members of the various assemblies, heads of departments, NRCC management and staff, and members of the media.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
