Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Osei Bonsu Amoah has disclosed that assembly members already receive allowances and expressed his surprise on hearing ex-president Mahama make this promise a while back.

According to the Member of Parliament (MP), the constitution already makes a provision for assembly members to receive allowances they determine from the coffers of their own assemblies.

In an interview on Happy 98. 9 FM’s Epa Hoa Daben political show, the local governance expert said, “We have heard candidate Mahama say he will pay assembly members if he wins the 7th December 2020 elections. It is not a bad idea but it is already happening. The constitution already makes provision for that.”

He went on to quote the section of the constitution which mandates that assembly members are paid. Article 250 (2) of the constitution reads, “The emoluments of a Presiding Member of a District Assembly and other members of the Assembly shall be determined by the District Assembly and paid out of the Assembly’s own resources.”

The Deputy Minister after quoting this section of the constitution asked the ex-president to state that he wants to make some changes with that portion of the constitution rather than falsely promising something which is already being done. “Candidate Mahama should say he wants us to make a constitutional change and not say he will pay assembly members.”

O.B Amoah reiterated, “Assembly members are already being paid. They receive allowances as per the constitution and even receive ex-gratia which is determined by the assembly.”

Former President John Dramani Mahama has said he will spend a minimum of GHC66 million a year paying the allowances of assembly members if he wins the 7 December 2020 elections.

According to him, if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo alone could spend GHC69 million on travels in nine months in 2019, then the money could be found to pay assembly members.