The Assembly Member for Donkoyianu/Obra Wogum Electoral Area in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region, Mr Nathaniel Papa Akyeampong, has advised assembly members against acting in a manner that would bring the name of the position they occupy into disrepute.
According to him, they were people who wielded a lot of control and power in their respective electoral areas and should, therefore, ensure that their actions and inaction did not destabilise the peace and tranquillity in their communities.
He stated that the people regarded them as authorities in their communities, hence whatever they instructed their constituents to do – whether good or bad – would be adhered to and carried out to the letter. Mr Akyeampong gave the advice in an interview in connection with recent violent attacks allegedly spearheaded by some assembly members in some areas.
Recent incidents The first incident occurred at Somanya in the Eastern Region where the assembly member for the area, Mr Ebenezer Jones Adamatey, is alleged to have led some irate youth to cause unlawful damage to the office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in protest against high electricity bills.
The youth who were not happy about the arrest of the assembly member went berserk, burnt a police patrol vehicle and other properties, as well as freed four inmates from the cells.
In the second incident, the Assembly Member for Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region, Mr William Baah, is also alleged to have led some youth of the town to lynch Captain Maxwell Mahama who was on official duties in the town on suspicion that he was an armed robber.
Acts of violence Mr Akyeampong told the Daily Graphic last Thursday that assembly members must not be seen championing acts of violence and mayhem in their communities.
He noted that the recent conduct of the two assembly members who played instrumental roles in the violent acts had cast a slur on the image of the office they occupied as it would derail efforts by assembly members towards demanding better conditions of service from the state.
“Assembly members must be seen endorsing lawful conducts and civility in the society by the public and not masterminding acts of lawlessness and hooliganism,” he added.
He explained that per the Local Government Act 462, “Assembly members are local lawmakers and must always act within the remit of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution in order to justify the confidence reposed in them by the electorate.”
He indicated that such a move would enable the constituents to abide by bye-laws enacted by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies across the country.
The assembly member called for circumspection on the part of assembly members if their electorate impressed upon them to engage in unlawful protests due to certain concerns, adding that “Assembly members must thoroughly investigate such concerns to ascertain the facts before supporting such demonstrations.” Furthermore, he called on the Ghana Armed Forces to remain calm as steps were being taken by the police to apprehend and prosecute the people behind the gruesome murder of Captain Mahama.
The Assembly Member for Donkoyianu/Obra Wogum Electoral Area in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region, Mr Nathaniel Papa Akyeampong, has advised assembly members against acting in a manner that would bring the name of the position they occupy into disrepute.
According to him, they were people who wielded a lot of control and power in their respective electoral areas and should, therefore, ensure that their actions and inaction did not destabilise the peace and tranquillity in their communities.
He stated that the people regarded them as authorities in their communities, hence whatever they instructed their constituents to do – whether good or bad – would be adhered to and carried out to the letter. Mr Akyeampong gave the advice in an interview in connection with recent violent attacks allegedly spearheaded by some assembly members in some areas.
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