Scrap MP’s share of District Assembly Common Fund
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Dr Samiu Kwadwo Nuamah, has reiterated that the MPs’ share of the District Assembly Common Fund be scrapped to relieve them of the additional responsibilities of undertaking development projects in their constituencies.
He suggested that the MPs’ share of the fund should be given to the district assemblies, in order to give the MPs enough time to concentrate on their core mandate which is to make laws for the country.
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According to him, the chunk of funds allocated to MPs had been used to offer scholarships and not really injected into the physical development of the communities and he believed that if given to the assembly, the funds could be put to better use.
Town Hall meeting
Dr Nuamah said this during a Town Hall meeting organised by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Asuoyeboa Saint Peter’s Parish of the Catholic Church in collaboration with the Kwadaso Municipal Assembly.
It was on the theme: “Community Participating in Local Governance for Rapid and Sustainable Development” and was to sensitise the church community on their roles and responsibilities as citizens and the need for them to take interest in the work of the district assemblies.
Dr Nuamah stressed that since there was no constitutional backing to the MPs share of the Common Fund coupled with the fact that the MPs were not development agents, that responsibility should be reverted to the district assembly and the fund scrapped.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Mr Agyenim Boateng said efforts were being made to get the Ghana Highway Authority to erect traffic lights at vantage points on the Sofoline-Asuoyeboa highway to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
Peace and development
In his address, the Parish Priest of the Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, Very Rev. Fr Michael Kwaku Boahen, advised the members to eschew all negative tendencies that had the potential to undermine the peace and development of the area.
He urged them to be involved in the district assembly election to select responsible assembly members who would pursue the development and welfare of their communities.
Very Rev. Fr Boahen said the town hall meeting was the church’s way of encouraging its members to get involved in local governance and to also remind them of their civic responsibilities.