Agona West NDC accuses MP for not utilising Common Fund; allegations untrue — Mrs Morrison
The Agona West constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, for failing to utilise her share of the MP’s Common Fund on development projects and interventions to better the lives of the people.
According to the party, out of the 275 MPs, the Auditor General in its 2018 Report queried the MP for not using her Common Fund for any development projects and social interventions towards improving the living conditions of the people.
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However, Mrs Morrison described the allegations as unfounded and without basis as they were intended to throw dust into the eyes of the electorate.
Responding to the allegations in an interview with the Daily Graphic, she said it was untrue that her share of the MP’s Common Fund had not been utilised as was alleged by the NDC, saying “I can tell you that my share of the Common Fund had been used to fund ongoing construction of 18 culverts across the constituency to enhance movement in the beneficiary communities.
Press conference
Addressing a press conference at the party’s office at Agona Swedru last Thursday, the Constituency Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Korley, said the 2018 Auditor General’s report indicated that the Agona West Municipal Assembly failed to utilise the MP’s Common Fund totalling GH₵405,320.31.
He noted that the Administrator of the Common Fund transferred the said amount as the MP’s share of the Common Fund for 2017 and part of 2018 allocations to the MP for Agona West but the funds were not utilised on any projects and interventions for the benefit of the constituents.
Giving further details, he noted that on January 1, 2018, an amount of GH₵113, 188.09 was released as the first and second quarter of 2017 as well as on February 28, 2018, a total of GH₵84, 660.42 was also released as the third quarter allocation.
He added that on June 1, 2018, GH₵79,619.08 was released for the fourth quarter of 2017, an amount of GH₵61,121.55 was released as the first quarter of 2018 on July 26, 2018 as well as GH₵66,731.17 was released as the second quarter of 2018 totalling GH₵405,320.31.
Disservice to constituents
The Constituency Secretary stated that the non-utilisation of the fund by the MP was a great disservice to the electorate as it had denied them the needed infrastructure and interventions that would positively affect their lives.
MP reacts
But Mrs Morrison, who is also the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, said communities that had benefitted from the culverts were Swedru, Nyakrom, Nsuansa, Kofikwaa, among other communities.
She mentioned that part of the funds had also been used to procure quantities of building materials such as roofing sheets and cement which had been distributed to help in the completion of community-initiated projects.
