The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is calling for the review of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) with regards to the allocation of Members of Parliament.
Mr. Ablakwa believes this will keep the Executive in check and reduce the constant demands by constituents
MPs are considered in the allocation of the DACF. The MPs usually choose a project to be constructed on their behalf by their respective Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies with the amount allocated to them in the DACF releases.
“Our constituents see the role of the Member of Parliament as bringing home development projects – roads, hospitals, schools etc. MPs’ common fund is woefully inadequate. It cannot deliver what is needed so I hold the view that we need to overhaul the entire constitutional architecture we are operating now and opt for strict separation of powers because Parliament is increasingly becoming weaker and weaker and the Executive is really getting away with so much. That is why I am calling for a second look at the MPs’ Common Fund.”
The Member of Parliament for Akim Oda and Chairman of the Local Government Committee recently also advocated for the scrapping of the MPs share of the District Assembly Common Fund, saying the move will give more power and resources to MMDCEs to execute their mandate.
“Common fund, honestly if you ask I would say it should be scrapped,” he earlier said.
In May last year, IMANI Africa asked the government to discontinue the disbursement of MPs’ share of the District Assembly Common Fund.
Executive Director of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe said, the MPs’ share of the common fund was a waste of money and an excuse of the MP to perpetuate himself/herself in power but not necessarily to do the most important job which is making laws.
The presiding Member of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) also descended on Parliamentarians for allegedly misapplying District Assembly Common Fund.
