Ex-assembly members demand over GHC67,000 as ex-gratia

Some newly elected assembly members for the Kwahu Afram Plains North District Assembly in the Eastern Region are likely to boycott their inaugural ceremony today, January 23 to push for the payment of their ex-gratia totalling over 67,000 cedis.

Each of the 31 elected members who served the assembly between October 2015 and October 2019 is said to be owed some 1,500 cedis while 28 government appointees who also served for the last two years are owed about 750 cedis each.

Of the 31 past members, 15 of them retained their seats in the last district level elections.

The affected past assembly members have planned to picket at the assembly to demand for their ex-gratia.

The 15 who retained their seats in the last district level elections, according to inside sources, have threatened to boycott inauguration of the new assembly as well as today’s election of a presiding member.

One of the old assembly members, Tetteh Fredrick Quodzo, told 3news.com last night that the assembly have failed to comply with agreed timelines for the payment of the ex-gratia.

“We have engaged Management but they failed to fulfil their promise,” he said.

According to him, they met with management of the Assembly on January 8 this year at which it was agreed for the money to be paid in instalment. The assembly was to pay the first instalment of 1,000 cedis to each elected member and 500 cedis in six months’ time.

They however failed, he said.

He questioned why a new assembly should be inaugurated when old members have not been paid their end of service benefits.

“Our people [referring to the 15 who retained their seats] will pull out from the election of a presiding member tomorrow and that will mean it cannot go on because there will not be quorum,” he told 3news.com.