Let us all respect government institutions - Ashanti Region presiding members

Presiding members in the Ashanti Region have called on Ghanaians to respect the three arms of government in order to deepen Ghana’s democracy in succeeding years.

This, they said could empower the executive, the legislature and the judiciary to professionally carry out their duties for the betterment of democracy with integrity.

The presiding members who said this in a communiqué copied to the Ghana News Agency after their three-day conference in Kumasi also called on the Ministry of Local Government and Decentralisation to implement the proposed reforms that would give them a four-year mandate, provide Motorbikes early enough and provide Electoral Area Development fund for them to carry out projects of their choice.

They suggested to government to also tie the ex-gratia of Assembly Members to the consolidated fund to eliminate the disparities in the payment at the end of their two-year mandate and ensure that the proposed reforms were implemented for them to have secretariats for speedy and effective work at the grassroot levels.

They explained that for now ex-gratia was paid according to the financial might of various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, a situation that created disparities and therefore drawing it from the consolidated fund would ensure equity and equality.

On the respect of the institutions, the Presiding Members denounced the outbursts of Mr Sammy Gyamfi, Director of Communications of the National Democratic Congress on the Minority leadership in Parliament especially on Speaker Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin.

“As Presiding Members, the Speaker is our father and we think it is unacceptable for Sammy Gyamfi to drag his reputation through the mud for doing nothing wrong,” Mr Isaac Ohemeng-Prempeh, Ashanti regional Dean of Presiding Members.

“On behalf of all the 43 Assemblies in the Ashanti Region, their Presiding Members and Assembly Members, we demand an unqualified apology from Sammy Gyamfi."

Mr Michael Opoku, Presiding member of Sekyere South district Assembly said “Mr. Bagbin is a great leader who is respected nationwide, he is our father and we respect him a lot, looking at what he has done for this nation in parliament alone, if Sammy Gyamfi loves Ghana, he should have quickly apologized long time ago”.

The National Dean of presiding members, Joseph Korto, who was also in attendance as an invited guest said, “President Akufo-Addo demonstrated respect for speaker Bagbin by describing Mr. Bagbin as his senior in parliament, it means the President also holds speaker Bagbin in high esteem and that is why he was full of praise for him when he was recently delivering the State of the Nation Address in Parliament.

The three-day conference, which was chaired by Nana Dr. Appiaagyei Dankawoso, Omanhene Kyeame of Ashanti Juaben traditional area and the President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and hosted by the Ashanti Regional Dean of Presiding members, Mr. Isaac Ohemeng Prempeh, with PMs from almost all the 43 Assemblies in the Ashanti Region in Attendance.

The Chairman of the Council of State, Daasebere Nana Otuo Siriboe II, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, the council of State Member for the region, Nana Owusu Achiaw and the regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias Chairman Wontumi, were presented with citations.

Mr. Frederick Agyarko Oduro, a local governance expert from the Institute of Local Government studies gave the hardworking PMs a lecture.

The NALAG president, Mr. Bismark Baisie Inkum, MMDCE’s Dean of the Ashanti Region, Mr. Joseph Owusu and Nana Opoku Ababio, deputy director of the Ashanti regional coordinating council were also in attendance.