Former President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his commitment to pay assembly members salary when voted into power.
The former president believes that, assembly members play a major role in the governance system yet do not get any reward for their work.
On July 27, 2020 while outdooring his running mate, John Mahama promised to pay assembly members monthly salary.
The former President’s promise was, however, downplayed by the local government minister, Hajia Alima Mahama saying it was not possible for Mahama to execute that promise.
But addressing the king of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama II and his subjects at the Gbewaa palace in Yendi, Mr Mahama insisted it was possible and only need the mandate to ensure it happened.
He said, he intends to reduce the size of a future NDC government and channel the monies into rewarding assembly members.
“When this government took over, they ballooned the size of central government, 125 ministers. I intend to cut down the size and use it to pay our hardworking assembly members, we can pay them, its possible”, Mahama said.
Mahama also reechoed that, the next NDC government under his leadership would adopt a free healthcare plan that will grant all Ghanaians access to primary healthcare in the country.
The health care services he said would cover CHPS compounds, Polyclinics, Clinics as well as District hospitals.
He lamented how many Ghanaians especially the vulnerable struggle to renew their health insurance due to poverty.
On infrastructure, Mahama noted that, the best way to give long lasting solutions to Ghana’s problems is infrastructural development and not putting cash in peoples pockets.
“If someone gives you money today, by tomorrow it will finish. But if you build that hospital, the school it will be there for generations, so governance is common sense and not rocket science”, he said.
—starrfmonline
