The Newly elected Presiding Member for Ho who doubled as the Assembly member for Ho Ahoe Duga electoral Area Hon. Mawunyo Agbe has lamented on what he termed as not helping the assembly members in regards to the Local Governance Act of the Constitution.
According to him the Act has not been fair to the Assembly Members in terms of salaries unlike the Members of Parliament hence putting much pressure on them.
He noted that, even though they don’t have enough to execute their mandates, they must deliver to escape the “incompetency” description.
In an exclusive with Inside Ghana News Service (IGNEWSS) Reporter, the Presiding Member revealed his plans of elevating the Ho Municipal Assembly with his office and his assembly members and also on issues of their allowances.
He mentioned that, Assembly Members deserves more in terms of their allowances and that will be justified on the floor of their sittings.
He added that since it is the assembly member that collect internally Generated Fund (I.G.F), they will justify the move to enable them mobilize more IGF for the assembly.
The Sub Development Committee Chair of the Ho Municipal Assembly however takes a swipe at some laid downs of the Local Governance Act.
He said, many assembly members have been lamenting that the Governance Act has been putting pressure on the assembly members because we are with the people everyday.
“As assembly member, you must be in the community. Even if you are not living in the community, you must visit everyday. People will bring their issues to you with different stories. You will have to go, if you have car you will transport with it. If it’s motor, you will use it and if it’s time, you will waste it but there’s no support from anywhere for your efforts in terms of money for even fuel.” He stated.
He explained the difference between the Member of Parliament and the Assembly members stressing that, despite the MP has larger constituencies under their supervision than them (assembly members) they are with the people all the time as first point of contact.
“the fact is that if you are with the people and everyday they are knocking on your door, today you are going to someone’s wedding, tomorrow you are going to someone’s funeral, someone’s outdooring, going to settle disputes, the assembly member should make sure seats are ready for All these is your responsibility but there’s no money coming from anywhere for you, what does it mean?” He fumed
The Ho Municipal Presiding Member who took office barely a month, express worry that, “even those who can do the work will give up because you have to use your own resources.”
He appealed to the government and policy makers to look into the plights of the Assembly Members to try and reconsider the act a little to make sure they include the development needs of the Assembly members.
“We feel the Act is not fair to us, They have to try and breach it a little and make sure they consider the assembly member’s development needs That’s what we have been lamenting about all the time.” He stressed
SOURCE: www.ignewss.com