By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, MMDAs have called on the central government to consider apportioning a percentage of the revenue accrued from the E-Levy to them to advance socio-economic development at the grassroots.
They are also asking the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund to ensure timely release of the Common Fund to them so as to facilitate operations of the MMDAs and development in their respective areas in line with the law.
The Immediate Past President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana, NALAG, Bismark Baisie Nkum, made the call in his address at the just-ended Conference of the Association in Kumasi.
Mr. Nkum, who is also the Gomoa West District Chief Executive in the Central region, however, expressed gratitude on behalf of NALAG to the government for the procurement and supply of motorbikes to deserving Assembly Members across the country in their first terms, the first in the history of the local Assemblies concept.
This, he noted, is facilitating work of the Assembly Members in their contributions toward local level engagement and participation in local governance.
In a message, the Mamponghene, Dasebre Osei Bonsu, asserted that even though the Constitution and the Local Government Act regulating the establishment and operations of the MMDAs forbid Assembly Members who are the key resource in the decentralization process not to be paid multiple salaries, they cannot be left worst off as development agents.
Dasebre Osei Bonsu noted that the payment of the Sitting Allowances to the Assembly Members as voluntary workers of the Assemblies cannot be enough incentive to sustain them in the effective performance of their responsibilities.
He, therefore, called for a national consideration to be given to improving their conditions of service, remunerations especially the payment of gratuity otherwise called ex gratia.
Dasebre Osei Bonsu called also for a reform in the local government law to properly integrate traditional leaders into the local governance structures and decentralization since they remain permanently with the people at the local level and better appreciate the development needs of the Communities.
Meanwhile, the Conference, which was on the theme: “Building the Future Together; The Role of Local Authorities”, has ended with the election of new national leadership of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana, NALAG with the Director-General of NADMO, Eric Nana Agyemang as the new President.