Presiding Member for Birim North District Assembly who doubles as the Assemblyman of Akoasi Ahenbronum Electoral Area, Hon George Krobea Asante has described the promise of former President Mahama to enroll all the assembly members into the consolidated funds for monthly salaries as an empty promise.

According to him, the promise made by former President John Dramani Mahama as mere political talk, clearly meant to deceive the assembly members into voting for him to become President again, asking his colleagues not to take him seriously.

In a press release copied to Peacefmonline.com, Krobea Asante acknowledged that even though the activities of the assembly members are key to the development of the country, they are completely under-resourced and totally ignored by all successive governments. He added that their neglect over the years has become a major source of concern and worry for all the assembly members in the country.

“But for any person to take advantage of our situation to score cheap political mark is unfortunate, unacceptable and I, therefore, call on all the Honourable Assembly members across the country to be alert and smart in order not to allow ourselves to be deceived and misled by any desperate politician seeking for power”, he cautioned.

“Having served consecutively for two terms as Assemblyman and currently as a Presiding Member, I can state on authority that the erstwhile Mahama administration was worse in terms of helping to fight for the plight of our members and his government did nothing significant to address our plight as Assembly members”.

He accused Mr. Mahama's administration of having failed to procure for Assembly members the motorbikes to facilitate their movement as agents of development for their respective electoral areas.

He again reminded his colleague assembly members that the statutory payments such as District Assemblies Common Funds were in arrears for several years under the John Mahama administration.

“…it is not only deceptive for Mr. Mahama to posits that when he is given the nod as President again, but he will also ensure all Assembly members in Ghana are given monthly payment. To me, this is the joke of the century and the comment is laughable. I do not think any Assemblymember in our country will be swayed by this empty promise which is targeting our votes and support as December polls draw nearer”, he charged.

“I would like to state emphatically that all the various governments since 1992 have failed in terms of the championing for the development and empowerment of Assembly members. This topic needs to be given serious attention as a country and calls for a national debate to ensure the welfare and the overall development of the local governance system is given the needed attention. Assembly members in Ghana deserve better treatment but not with an empty promise from a desperate politician”, he stated.