Don’t pay money for president’s visit – OB Amoah

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has asked Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in northern Ghana not to pay an amount of GH¢5,000 each as a contribution towards President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s tour of the three regions this week.

The Northern Regional Coordinating Council in a letter asked for the money explaining that it didn’t want a situation where the President’s visit would lead them to overspend.

The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives’ (MMDCEs) caucus took the decision on order to place a ceiling on the amount to contribute, to avoid instances where MMDAs are forced to overspend for such trips.

However, reacting in a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM Monday, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr O.B. Amoah said the Ministry did not sanction that action.

“As far as we are concerned, this is not sanctioned and nobody is authorised to pay anything towards the president’s visit. The Presidential office will have their own arrangement when it comes to such trips.

And I expect that the RCC should be able to know that this is not the situation where you should ask any district to make any contribution towards the president’s visit,” he said.

“… I don’t think it is the right thing to do. If for any reason, the president visits a district, and the district has to cater for some aspect of the visit, that should be well documented and authorized,” he added
President Nana Akufo-Addo, is expected to tour the three regions of the north from Monday, October 2, 2017, to Sunday, October 8, 2017.