Former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Talensi Thomas Duanab Wuni Pearson says he was worse off serving as a DCE.
Aside from the demanding nature of his job as head of the district, Duanab Wuni said his pay and other conditions of service were nothing to write about.
“I became worse off by becoming a DCE. I became worse off Iin terms of everything, Financial, especially.”
The salaries of MMDCEs, he said, were pegged at GH¢16,000 but his take-home was about GH¢5,000.
This was woefully inadequate compared to his earnings as a Ghana Health Service staff and insufficient to sustain him and his family, he stated.
“GH¢5000 cannot feed my family. But I was forced to live on GH¢5000,” he stated.
Thomas Duanab added that the assembly also faced resources constraint due to the economic crisis at the time, impeding his work as DCE.
“I became worse off because the economy had taken some dive somewhere. And in trying to work back, so many things were not available for me. Rural districts suffered. And our personal remuneration was terrible.”
Despite these and the harsh criticisms he faced as a government appointee, the former DCE said he does not regret serving, “serving the people because it has been my desire to serve my people”.
He made this assertion while refuting a view he said a section of the public holds about the earnings of MMDCEs especially under the previous administration.
Thomas Duanab Wuni, who contested the Talensi Parliamentary seat several times but failed, was appointed DCE in 2021by President Akufo-Addo.
He served until January 2025 when he was sacked together with all other MMDCEs appointed by the previous administration.
