Assembly members have been urged to be wary of juicy promises being made to them by former President John Mahama.
The promises, which include payment of monthly allowances to Assembly members, according to the Minister of Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama are deceptive.
“Mahama is just throwing promises about for power. It is impossible for central government to pay allowances of assembly members,” she stated on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Wednesday.
The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), in a meeting with the Ghana Association of Assembly Members, promised to pay them monthly allowances if he wins the December general election.
He explained that, as development agents, there is the need for the State to motivate them to give off their best.
Mr Mahama added that the monthly allowance will help them in the discharge of their day-to-day activities in their electoral areas.
But the Local Government Minister implored the Assembly Members to see John Mahama’s promise as political talk.
She explained that the NDC made a similar promise in its manifesto ahead of the 2012 general election but did not fulfill it.
“John Mahama’s promise to pay assembly members was in their manifesto in the 2012 elections but he didn’t do anything about it. Now they have no argument against the bravest performance in decentralization and local development, so they are now promising ‘rooftop promises’ that they cannot offer,” the Local Government Minister stressed.
As an immediate measure, the Minister said the government is supporting the Assemblies to generate enough revenue to increase the allowances of Assembly Members.