Presiding Member (PM) of the Ekumfi District Assembly in the Central region, Mr. Ishmael Nana Asamoah, has advocated for the need for assembly members to be put on a monthly pay roll to help strengthen the local government system.
According to him, assembly members work hand in hand with members of Parliament (MPs).
In this regard he argued out that there was the need for them to be given some incentives to enable them carry out their duties effectively.
�We are not saying we want what is given to MPs to be given to us but at least something small to push us. And that when done will go a long way to help some of us reach out to our people the more,� he explained.
He observed that assembly members also pay school fees of people in their electoral areas and also carry out similar functions just as MPs do, adding there was the need for some financial assistance from government to motivate them to give off their best.
The PM made this call in a brief interaction with the media after the last assembly meeting of the Ekumfi District at Essarkyir last Monday.
He noted that there was the need for government to make the welfare of assembly members a priority where accommodation and other incentives would be made readily available because of the role they play in the local governance system.
�Even sometimes sitting allowance for us after our meetings becomes a problem and if this continuous like this, our members will not be encouraged to come for meetings at the expense of the electorate,� he lamented.
Mr. Asamoah also appealed to his colleagues to desist from over politicisation of projects, explaining that that slows down the pace of development in deprived communities.
District Chief Executive (DCE) of the area, Mr. Ibrahim Kweku Dawson, pointed out that the assembly which was established in June 2012, begun its operations on a huge backlog of debts.
He hinted that the assembly after two years of existence was still grappling with debts which were bequeathed to them by their mother assembly�the Mfantsiman Assembly.
�This has jeopardised the various plans of the assembly to speed up development but we are still making strives to ensure that the assembly survives,� he noted.
He revealed that the assembly was able to generate GH₵133,984.58 against a target of GH₵ 209,503.20 representing 63.8%, adding that it was their hope to continuously build the economic capacity of the people to pay revenue to the assembly.
He commended the assembly members for the hard work they did for the assembly during their tenure and wished those who will be contesting again on March 3, 2015 the best of luck.
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