The District Chief Executive (NDC) for the Atwima Mponua in the Ashanti region, Stephen Yeboah, who also doubles as the parliamentary candidate of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the constituency, has incurred the displeasure of Parliament for refusing to pay the Common Fund of the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Isaac Kwame Asiamah.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP has dragged the DCE to Parliament, which has invited the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji Collins Dauda to answer questions as to why the Atwima Mponua DCE has refused to pay the Common Fund of the MP in the last 10 months.
The MP said that he had written several letters to the DCE for the release of his share of the Common Fund which is in excess of GH¢45,000 for certain stated development projects in the constituency.
The Minister, in responding to the MP’s question in parliament yesterday, said as far as he was concerned there was no outstanding payment to be made to the MP.
According to the Minister, an amount of GH¢73,938 was released in the first quarter of the year from the District Assembly Common Fund for the MP and out of that amount GH¢58,840 was paid to Premium World and GH¢15,098 also paid to Conpa Enterprise for some work done on behalf of the MP.
The Minister said in the second quarter, another GH¢56,102 was released by the District Assembly Common Fund but the amount was paid to Lexmall Company.
Hon Asiamah however disputed what the Minister told parliament and said he has documentary proof that the district assembly owes him about GH¢45,000.
This prompted the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho to direct the Minister to collect all the correspondences from the MP in relation to his Common Fund and contact the DCE and the administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund for all information on the disbursement of Hon Asiamah’s share of the Common Fund and come back to brief the House on it by Wednesday, October 26, 2016.
The MP told DAILY GUIDE the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has promised to have DCEs elected so that they would be accountable to the people and avert some of these standoffs between MPs and DCEs.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr