Residents of Ablekuma and Ayawaso call for increase in Common Fund

Accra, June 22, GNA - Residents of Ablekuma and Ayawaso Sub-Metropolitan Areas on Tuesday called for an increase in the allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund. The residents said this would make the assemblies complete development projects initiated.

They made the call at a stakeholders' Consultative Forum organised by the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) in collaboration with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in Accra.

They noted that Parliamentarians used their share for other issues other than to improve the development of their constituencies. The residents said appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives should be maintained.

They explained that when elections were conducted, the opposition political parties would contest, and after winning could sabotage the ruling government in terms of policy implementation.

The residents argued that there should not be elections for MMDCEs but rather for them to be more accountable to the people, the ruling government should institute a policy that would make them responsible to the people. They proposed that the date for general elections should be reviewed to October instead of December, since it usually affected the Christmas festivities when there was a runoff. The residents said the Electoral Commission should have power to prosecute people who misconduct themselves during elections, instead of using the law courts that delayed prosecution. Mr Abdul Baasit Aziz Bamba, Lead Researcher and Counsel of CRC, said the review had been breath taken, since more Ghanaian were able to express their knowledge on issues in the constitution. 22 June 10