Takoradi Feb. 14 GNA - Members of the Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) have appealed to the government to review the end-of-service benefit paid to Assembly members. They made the appeal at an emergency meeting to approve the Assembly's 2005 budget at Takoradi at the weekend.

The members said the end-of-service benefit being paid to Assemblymen was nothing to write home about compared to what Parliamentarians take home at the end of their tenure of office. They suggested that the end-of-service benefit for Assembly members should not be less than five million cedis.

The members said unlike Parliamentarians, Assemblymen did not receive salaries but were rendering selfless service to their communities.

They also called on the government to clarify its position on the vetting of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives as was being done to Ministers.

The members said on paper, the assemblies were non-partisan but in practice they were divided on partisan lines. They said this came to light particularly during voting for top positions in the assemblies.

The government should, therefore, come out with a decision on whether the assemblies should continue to be non-partisan even if that would require amending the law governing the assemblies, the members said. The assembly unanimously approved the budget for 2005.