By Ishmael Junourgh 
WA, UPPER WEST REGION — 4TH SEPTEMBER, 2026
A fresh wind of purpose is blowing through the corridors of the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council. This week, the Region formally welcomed its new Chief Director, Mr. Damma Shaiku Mumuni, in a special entry meeting with Municipal and District Coordinating Directors (MMDCDs), some Heads of Department and Unit Heads— an occasion that set a decisive tone for the administration ahead.
Chaired by the Regional Coordinating Director, the meeting was more than a ceremonial introduction. It was a rallying call for renewed commitment, sharper professionalism and stronger teamwork across the Region’s eleven Assemblies.
A FAMILIAR FACE, A WARM WELCOME
In his maiden address, Mr. Mumuni struck an immediate chord of familiarity and gratitude. Many of the MMDCDs present, he noted, were colleagues he had already worked alongside in the course of his public service career — making the Upper West Region feel less like new terrain and more like a homecoming. He thanked staff for their warm reception and appealed for the kind of cooperation and team spirit that moves a development agenda forward.
SETTING THE TONE: NO ROOM FOR BUSINESS AS USUAL
If there was one message that rang loudest, it was this — the days of business as usual are over. The new Chief Director was unambiguous about his expectations: punctuality, attendance and discipline will be closely monitored and firmly enforced. He did not mince words about the setbacks posed by absenteeism, lateness and idle gossip, describing them as real threats to productivity and effective service delivery.
Equally emphatic was his call for staff to operate strictly within their lines of duty, respecting the boundaries of institutional roles while upholding the professionalism and work ethics demanded by the Local Government Service.
CONFRONTING STAFFING GAPS WITH A PLAN
Mr. Mumuni did not shy away from acknowledging the Region’s human resource challenges. With key offices across the MMDAs facing staffing shortfalls, he pledged to engage the Head of the Local Government Service to secure additional postings. To complement this, he announced a staff rationalization exercise aimed at achieving a fairer distribution of personnel, with particular attention to the Works, Procurement and Human Resource departments.
On performance, his message was equally clear: Performance Evaluation Management and Performance Contract Assessments must be treated with the seriousness they deserve, and submissions on the DEPART Platform must meet their deadlines without excuse. Functional Client Service Units and rigorous Fixed Asset Management, he stressed, are not optional extras but essential pillars of good governance.
A CLEANER, HEALTHIER UPPER WEST
Drawing on lessons from his previous posting, the Chief Director turned attention to environment and sanitation, revealing a specific directive from the Head of the Local Government Service to prioritise Sissala East and similar areas. He encouraged all Assemblies to deepen their partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, reaffirming that a clean workplace is fundamental to effective public service.
DIRECTORS SPEAK, CONCERNS HEARD
The entry meeting was not a one-way address. In an open forum, the MMDCDs candidly raised the issues shaping their daily administration — inadequate office accommodation, thin staffing in critical departments, the departure of some Procurement Officers, and the need for greater goodwill from Honourable Assembly Members. They also called on the Regional Coordinating Director to undertake regular familiarisation visits to the districts, to better appreciate the realities on the ground.
Amid the challenges, there was encouraging news too: general attendance across the Region is on the rise — a small but telling sign that the culture of discipline is already taking root.
A UNITED TEAM, A RENEWED PURPOSE
The meeting closed on a note of shared resolve, with both the Chief Director and the MMDCDs committing to work as one team in the service of the Upper West Region’s development. As Mr. Damma Shaiku Mumuni settles into office, the Region extends its warmest wishes for a tenure marked by impact, integrity and progress.COMPILED BY THE PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT, UPPER WEST REGIONAL COORDINATING COUNCIL, WA.