Ex-assembly members to receive over ¢67k in ex-gratia next week

Former assembly members of the Kwahu Afram Plains North District Assembly will next week be paid their ex-gratia totalling over 67,000 cedis.

Each of the 31 elected members who served between October 2015 and October 2019 will receive 1,500 cedis while the 28 government appointees who also served for the last two years are will walk home 750 cedis each.

The 59 members, of which 15 of them retained their seats in the last district level election, had planned to picket at the Assembly on January 23 to prevent the new newly constituted assembly from being inaugurated.

The 15 had resolved to boycott the election of a presiding member for the assembly.

But ahead of the inauguration of the assembly Thursday, the former presiding member, Ms. Kate Mawusi of the Okai Zongo electoral area impressed on her colleagues to back down on their intended action as she worked to get the monies paid.

Our correspondent Yvonne Neequaye reported that it took the intervention of Ms Mawusi who retained her seat and seeking to become the presiding member of the assembly, to calm the tensed atmosphere created by the ex-assembly members.

She reported that Ms Mawusi assured the ex-members that she was working with the assembly to get them paid by next week, an assurance they took in good faith, and allowed the new assembly to be inaugurated.

Meanwhile, the Assembly failed to elect a presideing member after two rounds of voting.

At the end of the first round, the two contenders, Ms Mawusi and Nana Opoku Tutu, a government appointee, garnered 17 and 29 respectively, less the two-thirds of total votes required.

Ms Mawusi in the second round polled 18 while Nana Tutu secured 28.

A third round of election is expected in the next 10 days.

Failed deadlines

One of the old assembly members, Tetteh Fredrick Quodzo, told 3news.com Wednesday night that the assembly have failed to comply with agreed timelines for the payment of the ex-gratia.

“We have engaged Management but they failed to fulfil their promise” he said.

According to him, they met with management of the Assembly on January 8 this year at which it was agreed for the money to be paid in instalment. The assembly was to pay the first instalment of 1,000 cedis to each elected member and 500 cedis in six months’ time.

They however failed, he said.

He questioned why a new assembly should be inaugurated when old members have not been paid their end of service benefits.

“Our people [referring to the 15 who retained their seats] will pull out from the election of a presiding member tomorrow and that will mean it cannot go on because there will not be quorum” he told 3news.com

Source: 3news.com