Hajia Alima Mahama
Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, is asking Assembly Members across the country not to give former President John Dramani Mahama a listening ear over his promise to pay them if given power.
The minister says “I want to tell you that, John Mahama’s promise to pay assembly members was in their manifesto in the 2012 elections but he didn’t do anything about it. Now they have no argument against the bravest performance in decentralization and local development, so they are now promising ‘rooftop promises’ that they cannot offer”.
She added that “Mr Mahama was not able to pay assembly members about 10,000 in number, nurses and teachers allowances, so would you expect him to put 10,000 assembly members on the payroll. He knows it is impossible, the real situation is that the way the decentralization scheme has been designed, they are like a board of the assembly and are not a full-time employee”.
The Local Government Minister implored the Assembly Members to see former President John Mahama’s claims as political talks since he is not capable of delivering on any matter.
The flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, not long ago while addressing a meeting with the Ghana Association of Assembly Members (GAAM) in his office in Accra, assured assembly members that the next NDC administration will work closely with them to deepen their roles in governance.
He added that, as the first point of contact for the resolution of many issues in electoral areas, assembly members require support from the government to enable them effectively discharge their enormous responsibilities.
However, Hajia Mahama, Member of Parliament (MP) for Nalerigu Gambaga in the North East region speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of the Nsukwao Basin Drainage Improvement Project at Koforidua – Ada in the New Juaben South Municipality of the Eastern Region as part of President’s regional tour downplayed such claims by the former President.
Illegal Association
“I understand the former President, John Mahama met with the (GAAM) which is not an official association of assembly members to start with and he promised that when he wins which is not going to be the case he is going to pay assembly members a monthly allowance or salary”.
The Minister explained that “To start with, the association that he met tried to organize when he was the President and they were prevented because they were told that there is a recognize assembly members association that is the National Association of Assembly Members of Ghana (NALAG), they prevented them, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is democratic, we have allowed freedom of association and now the NDC is meeting them instead of (NALAG)”.
Assurance
She has indicated that the President, Nana Akufo-Addo is much concerned about the situation of assembly members in the country and is of the view that they will do everything possible to seek to the welfare of them.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua