News:
February 19, 2025
Alexander Akwasi Acquah, Member of Parliament for Akim Oda has reminded the President John Dramani Mahama led ruling government of its promise to pay Assembly members, saying, “We are waiting for the NDC’s promise of paying Assembly members”.
According to him if the government is able to fulfill this promise, it will help attract people to voluntarily avail themselves to be elected as Assemblymen and women to contribute their quota to the development of the Assemblies.
This, he stated, should also be accompanied by ensuring that resources are made directly available to the electoral areas to work with.
The MP who was contributing to a statement in parliament on the “Challenges faced by Unit Committee members”, reminded the House that Dr. Bawumia, the 2024 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party would have made this possible as he had promised that portion of the Common fund was going to go to the electoral areas; “unfortunately, we did not vote for him”, he stated.
He emphasized that looking at the structures of our local governance system; it is only the Assembly members and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) that are seen performing; whereas the performance of Unit Committees and the other structures are hardly noticed because they do not have the empowerment.
“How, do we have the empowerment without looking at the financial capacity or a system that would allow them to have access to finance?” He queried.
He disclosed that in his constituency, the usage of the common fund was a major campaign issue during their primaries; so he promised his constituents that in other for them to have full access to the use of the common fund; he was going to disburse it to the 18 electoral areas in the constituency.
Again, when I got elected, every common fund that was released, it was done as we wanted. We have the various electoral areas led by the Assembly members opening electoral area accounts, and these monies were disbursed from the Assembly into those accounts. It made it easy for me to account for the common fund of every quarter despite not having any major project standing in my name for every electoral area, he stated.
“You go, there is something to show; this is what the MPs common fund has been used for” adding that it is one major area that if you are not careful they will definitely use it to campaign against you.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com