Assembly member calls for more funds

Mr. Adamu Musah, Assembly member for Sofo-Zongo in Kwesimintim, has called on the government to allocate a portion of Members of Parliament Common Fund to assembly members for community projects.

He said that assembly members, who are in direct and constant contact with the people, needed funds to meet the needs of communities and to facilitate their work under the decentralisation policy.

Mr. Musah said this after he was adjudged the 2013 best Assembly member of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly.

He constructed two boreholes, provided two poly tanks, six walkways, 50 street lights, evacuated piled up refuse and ensured daily cleaning of gutters.

The Best Assembly member concept, developed by Global Communities and supported by the Local Government Institute under the “IncluCity Project”, aims at improving governance and services for the urban poor.

Mr. Musah, a tutor at the Baidoo Bonsu Senior High Technical School at Agona Nkwanta in the Ahanta West District, said assembly members are tasked by their communities to provide basic amenities, pay school and hospital fees, buy coffins and “We are sometimes called to even pay bride price.”

“Most of the development works are initiated and done by assembly members and is rather unfortunate that assembly members are not duly supported to function appropriately”, he said.

Mr. Ishmael Adams, Director of the IncluCity Project of Global Communities, lauded the hard work of some assembly members, adding, “Though it is a voluntary job, most of you are doing marvelously well.”

Mr. Fred Oduro of the ILGS said the project would recognize and honour unsung heroes who have contributed immensely to the decentralisation process.

He mentioned regular attendance and participation at assembly meetings, community engagement and development projects as some of the criteria for the selection.

Source: GNA