In all sincerity and humility, the recent Presidential emoluments committee Chaired by Prof. Dora Francisca Edua-Buandah has been disingenuous to the plight & concerns of Hon Assembly members within the 216 MMDA’s across the country.
Why should Article 71 public office holders emoluments be backdated from 2013 to take a retrospective effect with an increment of 10% when indeed, Assembly members who constitute the fulcrum of local government and are also elected & appointed public officers not paid monthly salaries, left alone be given an increments ?
If Members of Parliament from both sides/factions of the house will in uniformity support and endorse a recommendation which seeks to cushion them financially without any public uproar, then I wonder what debars my colleague local law makers to come together to legitimately fight for what is ours.
It’s mind boggling to read that, the said committee premised their recommendations on fairness,equity,motivation and government ability to pay. I shudder to believe if equity as a key governance indicator was truly adhered to by the committee and the state at large. It smacks some sort of disrespect and non recognition of the role of Assembly members in the country’s governance process. Assembly members have been neglected for far too long.
One may ask how the incoming government will implement its trump card campaign message of one district one factory policy, one million dollars per constituency etc prior to the just ended elections if Assembly members who are the local policy formulators at every District are abandoned and their needs, not well catered for. Just as the state uses its meager resources to conduct elections to elect President and Members of Parliament, same is done to elect Assembly members.
To bring a lasting end to this neglect, I respectfully call on the next government to present to Parliament a bill to amend Article 71 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana to include Assembly members and the emoluments due them.
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