Apam (C/R), June 9, GNA - The Presiding Member of the Gomoa West Assembly, Mr Anthony Eyiah-Quansah, has suggested to the government to make some allocation from the District Assembly Common Fund to Assembly members to use to develop their electoral areas.

Mr Eyiah-Quansah said assembly members needed to undertake some projects if they were to be respected and recognized in their electoral areas.

He said because some of the Assemblies were not economically sound to support every electoral area with projects, some Assembly members served their four-year term without getting any project to show. The Presiding Member said this at a two-day orientation workshop for the Assembly members at Apam.

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in collaboration with the Institute of Local Government Studies organized the workshop for the Assembly members.

Mr Eyiah-Quansah said the creation of Assembly Member Common Fund would enhance the decentralization policy since they (Assembly Members) are at the grassroots.

He said people's participation in the activities of the Assemblies were very low because the sub-structures, that is the Unit Committees and Town/Area Councils, were not functioning effectively and appealed to government to make them functional.

Mr Eyiah-Quansah appealed to the Ministry to issue Identification Cards to Assembly members for easy identification.

Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, the Gomoa West District Chief Executive and President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana, said the Association was making efforts to acquire motor bicycles for Assembly members.

He said it would soon come out with the modalities for the acquisition of the motor bikes.