Over 300 assembly members in the Ashanti region have endorsed the opposition NDC’s election 2020 campaign manifesto which promises to pay monthly salary to elected Assembly members across the country.
According to the elected assembly members, payment of monthly allowances to Assembly members will deal with corruption in the local government system and also promote checks and balances and proper accountability without fear or favour.
The Assembly members, while addressing a news conference in response to the NDC’s Manifesto, dubbed “The People’s Manifesto” in Kumasi, they disclosed, majority of their members have aligned themselves to District Chief Executives (DCE) and technocrats paving way for these staff of the assembly to milk the assemblies since they renege on their supervisory roles for survival.
Assemblymember for Asempanaye Electoral Area, Emmanuel Kobi-Tumfour while addressing the media said the NDC’s manifesto is full of hope to addresses the major challenges facing assembly members across the country.
“Now most of the assembly members in the rural districts do not often attend assembly meetings because of lack of transportation. We only survive on sitting allowance which payment in some districts is problematic. Therefore we the assembly members across the Ashanti region fully endorse the NDC’s manifesto. We will like to thank former President John Dramani Mahama for thinking about us’’.
NDC
He added” We believe that the payment of monthly allowance or allowance to us assembly members will provide us with the needed financial support to discharge our functions satisfactorily. The allowance to some extent could eschew some of us assembly members from seeking petty offers or falling for petty favours from the executives of the assemblies and thereby compromise our authority to demand accountability. It will also serve as recognition of our efforts which will motivate and energized us to work harder to deepen our decentralization system. Therefore we welcomed the policy as contained in the manifesto of the NDC with joy and enthusiasm and pay fervently for its realization’’
Emmanuel Kobi-Tumfour, however, urged his colleague’s assembly members in the region to ensure their electoral area electorate vote for the John and Jane tick to govern the country for their collective good.
“Please after this press conference let’s go all out and campaign for the return of former president John Dramani Mahama to government. When he was vice president under the late Mill administration he gave us motto bikes. He has done it before so therefore we have no reason not to work for his return’’ he stressed.
The assembly members again welcomed the NDC’s promise to increase the district assemblies common found from 5 to 7.5 percent if they win the election.
“We also appreciate the decision of the NDC government to increase the district common fund from 5% to 7.5% since that will increase resources to the assembly for benefit of the electoral areas. Once again, we commend Mr. Mahama for his foresight and wish him best of luck in the upcoming elections since the realization of our long-cherished dream of earing salary is now tied to the victory of NDC.’’ he said.
