Apam (C/R), June 9, GNA - The Presiding Member of the Gomoa West Assembly, Mr Anthony Eyiah-Quansah has called on the government to allocate part of the District Assemblies' Common Fund to assembly members for the development of their electoral areas.

Mr Eyiah-Quansah said the move would attract respect and recognition to the assembly members.

The Presiding Member made the request at a two-day orientation workshop for assembly members at Apam in the Central Region.

Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in collaboration with the Institute of Local Government Studies organised the workshop. Mr Eyiah-Quansah noted that the creation of the fund would go a long way to enhance the decentralisation process at the grassroots.

He observed that people's participation in the activities of the district assemblies was very low, affecting the proper functioning of the sub-structures such as the Unit Committees and Town/Area Councils. Mr Eyiah-Quansah appealed to the Local Government Ministry to issue

Identification Cards to assembly members for easy identification. He reminded the assembly members that the District Assembly concept was non-partisan, hence the need for them to bury their party affiliations.

He asked them to respect and work with the government of the day no matter the political party they belonged to.

Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, District Chief Executive and President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana said the Association had reached an advanced stage for the acquisition of motor bicycles for assembly members and would soon come out with the modalities for the purchase.

Mr George Holdbrook, Regional Budget Analyst and Mr Peter Antwi Boasiako, Gomoa West District Co-ordinating Director, facilitated the workshop.