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BIA E: Consider paying us monthly allowances – PM to gov’t

The Presiding Member for Bia East District Assembly in the Western North Region, Apraku Joseph has appealed to government to consider paying monthly allowances to assembly members from the consolidated fund considering their scope of work.

Date Created : 7/11/2019 3:15:48 AM : Story Author : William Dei-Gyau/Ghanadistricts.com

Apraku made these appeal in an interview with Ghanadistricts.com after receiving motorbikes meant for the Assembly Members to enhance their movement from the District Chief Executive, Richard Chedure on behalf of his colleagues.

The mini durbar which saw all the sixteen Assembly Members present together with officials from the District Assembly was held at Sefwi Adabokrom.

According to the PM "per the local government act 2016 act 936 section 16, states that an Assembly Member should be close to electorates and is the intermediate between the government and the people where the Assembly Member take information from the people to the government and the vice versa. Aside that, we attend invitation being wedding, naming ceremony, funeral, graduation, among other things where the member is expected to donate something, where do we get the money whiles we receive nothing apart from the quarterly sitting allowance which some Assembly's pay twenty five Ghana cedis (Ghs25.00) and thirty Ghana cedis (Ghs30.00) which is not motivating".

He again questioned why three general elections are held to elect the President, Parliamentarians and the Assembly Members but the state refuse to cater for the well-being of the Assembly Members but pay both salaries and allowances to the President and the Parliamentarians with other benefits.

Joseph Apraku who doubled as the assembly member for Kwabena Nkataa Electoral Area noted that "the work of the Assembly Members is equivalent to that of Members of Parliament when it comes to the District level which qualifies them to receive monthly allowance to ease burden hence the call".

The PM called on the national conference of presiding members to join has to fight for the betterment of assembly members especially when the Local Government Ministry is drafting a new act to elect MMDCEs and also politicize the election of assembly members.