Assembly members back John Mahama over salary promise

Some current and former Assembly members from across the 18 constituencies in the Volta region, have backed the Flag-bearer of the NDC, John Mahama’s promise to pay monthly salary to Assembly members when elected as President of the republic in the come December polls.

Among the campaign promises made by the former President, he promised toe pay monthly salaries to all elected assembly members across the country, this to enable them to collect accurate death and birth information for the government.

This according to the assembly members at a press conference held on Wednesday, 16 September 2020 in Ho, will go along way to empower them.

Chairperson of the of the group calling itself Association of Progressive Assembly Members, Mrs Martha M.A. Gato-Lagble said the idea will not only empower them but will also “serve as a bait for hesitant but more qualified personalities with varied backgrounds to participate in the local governance system to inject more efficiency and effectiveness into how MMDA’s are run”

She added that when giving salary it will “even more refreshing the assignment of an additional role to assembly members to collect death and birth information in their various electoral areas in the event that, H.E John Mahama wins the up-coming election” she said.

The progressive assembly members, numbering nearly to five hundred persons indicated that, Mr John Mahama can deliver the promise because “ It was under him as a Vice President that motorbikes were given to all assembly members in Ghana. This is historic if not unprecedented in the fourth republic. We can therefore say with certainty that this promise will come to fruition with H.E John Mahama as president “.

The convenor, Mrs Martha G.A emphasised by calling on the former President, when become a President in January 2021 to allocate percentage of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) to “ each electoral area which could be name Electoral Area Common Fund (EACF) to enable assembly members undertake development in their communities. This we are certain, will complete the assembly members empowerment agenda”.

Assembly member for Borsontoe electoral area in Ho, Soxefia Sefadzi Agama in an interview after the meeting said such funds can be use to construct community gutters, street lights and paying of school fees for underprivileged pupils.