Space FM, Sunyani - The Assembly Member for the Awuah Electoral Area at Odumase near Sunyani, Hon. Agyeman Badu Richard, has accused the NPP government for failing to honor promises made during last year’s local government elections.
According to the Assembly member, they were promised before the election that Act 642 of the local government Act which documents the work of assembly members as volunteers was going to be amended to improve their living conditions.
He said they were also promised that, “incentives such as motorbikes and bicycles shall be provided to facilitate their movement but to no avail”.
Speaking to Space FM's Papa Abisa in Sunyani, Hon Agyemang Badu noted that “ex-gratia award alone was not enough for assembly members who are expected to honor various invitations to public functions and make donations as well”.
Mr. Agyemang proposed an allocation of assembly member’s common fund as being done for their counterparts in parliament.
He noted that if assembly members are well resourced and motivated, they could work more than the MPs because they are always with the people at the grass root and are aware of their problems as well.
He again suggested at least every six months package for assembly members to enable them explain government policies and educate the public on major issues such as sanitation to prevent malaria which experts describe as the number one killer disease in Sub Saharan Africa, killing 800,000 children under age five annually.
The assembly member again appealed to the central government to collaborate with district assemblies to provide offices for the assembly members for their official duties
He expressed concerned about how bedrooms and halls of assembly members had more or less become offices where people go to with their problems at any point in time.
