Eric Opoku is the Minister of Food and Agriculture
Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has dismissed claims that President John Dramani Mahama has increased the salaries of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to GH₵35,000.
Earlier in the week, the host of Adom FM’s morning show, Omanhene Kwabena Asante, alleged that the government had increased the salaries of MMDCEs from GH₵5,000 to GH₵35,000.
In an interview on Adom FM on November 19, 2025, Eric Opoku described the claim as false.
During the interview, he asked the host: “I heard you’ve said we’ve increased MMDCEs’ salary by 67%?” Omanhene replied, “Yes, I said it.”
Eric Opoku rejected the allegation, saying any adjustment of salaries for MMDCEs of that kind would breach existing laws of Ghana.
“No MMDCE salary has been increased under this NDC government,” he insisted.
He explained that MMDCE salaries are determined by Article 71 of the Constitution and a 2011 committee report, which recommended that their pay be pegged to the Award 55 scale with a 10% annual increment.
According to him, by the time the NDC left office in 2016, every MMDCE was earning about GH₵16,445 annually. He further noted that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration taking over from the NDC was mandated to apply the 10% yearly increase but initially failed to do so.
He added that it was only after intervention by then Local Government Minister, Dan Botwe, that the increment was eventually approved. The government then computed and paid the outstanding arrears and ex-gratia, which brought MMDCE salaries to about GH₵32,000.
“So, every new MMDCE appointed under the Mahama administration starts at that salary level because that is the amount they inherited. This is what you heard, claiming that the current government has increased their salary,” Opoku clarified.
AK/BAI
@adom1063fm President Mahama has not increased salaries of MMDCEs by 67% – Eric Opoku (Minister for Food and Agriculture) #DwasoNsem
♬ original sound – ADOM 106.3 FM
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