MP wants clarifications on common fund

Juaso (Ashanti Region) 30 April ?99

Mr Alex Kwaku Korankye, Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante-Akim South, has appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to come out clearly on the allocation of MP's share of the district assemblies common fund.

Some assemblies are thwarting the efforts of MPs by misinterpreting the guidelines on the share of the common fund and politicising the allocation to MPs in opposition parties to make them unpopular, he said.

Addressing the Asante-Akim South District Assembly at Juaso, Mr Korankye said the assembly requested him to submit projects he wanted to embark upon in the communities for approval before his share of the fund would be allocated to him.

The MP said the ministry should also come out to specify projects that fall within the traditional functions of the assembly and those that fall within the domain of MPs.

He said he submitted a list of items to be purchased on a pro-forma invoice about two months ago to the District Finance Officer and the District Chief Executive for approval.

The administration felt 800 bags of cement, 12 packets of galvanised roofing sheets, 100 dual desks and a cash of four million cedis he was demanding from his share of the common fund were rather within the traditional functions of the assembly, he told the Assembly.

Mr Korankye said he was not happy about the way he was being treated by the assembly since he is not the only MP benefiting from the fund and views the action of the assembly as a sabotage.

Mr Korankye said he has complained to the Regional Minister, Mr Kojo Yankah, who asked him to submit a memorandum which he did.

There was nothing like transparency in the distribution of the Poverty Alleviation Fund and the education on it was not adequate in the rural communities, he stated.

Mr James Boadi-Danquah, the District Chief Executive, appealed to the assembly to investigate the allegations made by the MP against him.

The allegations are not only false but politically motivated and calculated to bring his name and that of the assembly into disrepute, he said.

He said he has no bad intentions against the MP whom he described as a friend and that he was only going by guidelines on the release of the common fund.

Mr Boadi-Danquah said the assembly has disbursed 46.5 million cedis to 24 groups under the poverty alleviation programme and that it was fairly distributed throughout the 11 area/town councils in the district.