Assembly Members are agents of development in our local governance system, and therefore, any attempt to stymie their welfare will not auger well for national development.

Members of the various Assemblies are the representatives of the people and are mandated by law to make decisions on behalf of their constituents.

Their job description includes consulting the people of the electoral area and collating their views, opinions, and proposals
on issues to be discussed in the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDCEs); attend meetings of the Assemblies and meetings of sub-committees and meet the electorate before each meeting of the MMDCEs.

Besides, the Assembly Member is the first point of call when there are critical issues in the communities way before a Member of Parliament gets to know about them.

In some cases, Assembly Members are compelled to use their own insufficient resources to solve problems in their electoral areas.

It is, therefore, heartwarming for the Flag-bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), H E. John Dramani Mahama to acknowledge the important role that people within the local governance structure play and their need for financial support to enable them to effectively carry out their duties.

He backed this call with a promise to pay Assembly Members allowance when he is elected president in this year's elections when addressing the media in Bole after casting his vote in the recently held district-level election.

This policy, I believe, will redefine the local governance system and serve as a major boost for the development of this country, especially rural communities.