Despite the withdrawal of a directive to Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives in the Northern Region to contribute GHc5,000 each to finance the President’s trip in that part of the country, the Chairman of Parliament’s Local Government Committee, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, is calling for a probe into the matter.
Speaking to Citi News’ Duke Mensah Opoku, the Akim Swedru Member of Parliament (MP) implored the Local Government Ministry to probe the intent of the Regional Coordinating Council, and if found culpable, sanction those behind the circular.
[contextly_sidebar id=”0jfSWfZfzCelDNhFTumnEm5aVhCjlMbl”]“We have to investigate to ascertain the purpose. We need to know the rationale for taking that money… So we need to establish that fact first. And if we are able to establish that fact, then the culprits could be sanctioned,” he added.
His comments follow the emergence of a circular that directed Northern Regional MMDCEs to contribute GHc5, 000 each towards the visit of the President; a directive that has since been withdrawn.
Osei Nyarko further described the directive as disgusting.
“For me it’s disgusting. The president hasn’t instructed anybody [to do that]. Government machinery has its own budget. This is not the first time the president is touring the country, he went to the Western Region – he never asked anybody to make any contribution.”
He explained that anytime a president embarks on such trips “he comes with his housemen; and everything that he needs, state protocol has taken care of all those things.”
Group slams Northern RCC over directive
A Local Governance Think Tank, Centre for Local Governance Advocacy, on Monday also called for sanctions against the Northern Regional Coordinating Council for demanding the GHc5,000 each from the 26 assemblies in the region, to support the President’s tour of the area this week.
Speaking to Citi News, the Deputy Executive Director of the Centre, Gladys Naadu Tetteh, said the demands from the Coordinating Council were unfortunate, and steps must be taken to discourage such a practice from becoming the norm.
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin