The Western North Regional branch of the Ghana Association of Assembly Members (GAAM) is urging the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Daniel Kwaku Botwe, to dissolve the old assemblies and address the issue of unpaid allowances and ex-gratia for outgoing assembly members.
Frank Nelson Ackah, the regional president of GAAM, expressed concern over the minister’s apparent neglect of outgoing assembly members and called for prompt action before the swearing-in of the newly elected members on February 6.
He emphasized the importance of adhering to the law, stating that the Local Government Ministry, through regional ministers, must dissolve the old assemblies before inaugurating the new members.
The Regional President criticized the minister for bypassing this legal requirement and issuing a statement for the swearing-in of the newly elected members without addressing the concerns of the outgoing assembly members. He deemed this act unlawful and called for its condemnation.
Frank Nelson Ackah urged the minister to determine the ex-gratia to be paid by Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to the outgoing assembly members.
He also stressed the need for some assemblies to settle outstanding allowances owed to assembly members before the inauguration and swearing-in ceremony.
He issued a deadline for the Ministry to address these concerns before the stipulated swearing-in date, warning that failure to do so could lead outgoing assembly members to take legal steps to demand fairness.
Frank Nelson Ackah emphasized the urgency of the situation, urging the local government minister and relevant authorities to act promptly to prevent the situation from escalating.
“We want the local government minister and the appropriate authorities to act upon the above-raised concerns immediately before things get out of hand. Per the laws, the old assemblies must be dissolved before swearing in the new ones but we are surprised to see a statement from the ministry to swear in the newly elected assembly members whilst the outgoing have not been catered for. We are through this medium giving the Minister some few days ultimatum to take immediate actions to solve those issues before things get out of hand,” he stated.
