A request for an ex gratia payment of GHC 5,000 has been made by the Ghana Association of Assembly Members (GAAM) for departing assembly members.
Frank Nelson Ackah, the Western North Regional President, made this demand, which emphasizes the necessity of paying assembly members fairly for their devoted work.
Speaking to the media following a recent assembly meeting in Bibiani, Frank Nelson Ackah expressed his disapproval of the meager ex gratia that some assemblies have suggested, stating that it is not enough to recognize the dedication and hard work of members who have served their electoral regions for four years or longer.
“We don’t need anything below five thousand cedis as our ex gratia. After serving our communities for over four years, we need to be commended for our dedication and hard work. We are calling on the local government ministry to ensure they facilitate payment of our ex gratia as soon as possible,” Frank Nelson Ackah stated
He further expressed his dissatisfaction with the delays in ex gratia payments, emphasizing that such delays demotivate incoming members and disrupt the smooth transition of responsibilities.
“The MMDAs have no audacity to reduce the amount to what they want, which is around five thousand cedis. We are calling on the various MMDCEs to cooperate with us to avoid any misunderstandings,” he added.
Additionally, Frank Nelson Ackah called for unity within the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipal Assembly to promote development.
He urged assembly members to move past unnecessary disputes and embrace tolerance and adherence to standing orders to ensure a productive and harmonious working environment.
“We now have the standing orders to deal with matters pertaining to discipline and others, and I know things will change as we move forward. I plead with all to be law-abiding and follow the standing orders if we truly want development in the municipality,” he noted.
He also encouraged the leadership of the assembly to be open to constructive criticism and to accept their mistakes to foster progress.
“I will entreat the leadership of the assembly to be tolerant, accept their mistakes where due, and I think we can make progress if we leave behind our egos and differences,” he stated.
Concluding his remarks, Frank Nelson Ackah urged the new assembly members to work diligently for the development of their communities to secure their positions in the future.
“I know some of the assembly members are new, and I urge them to be cooperative and work harder for the betterment of the various communities. In so doing, we can grow Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai,” he concluded.
Credit: sefwinews.com