Accra, May 13, GNA - The Foundation for Female Photojournalists (FFP) on Wednesday proposed that government should institute the payment of Operational Duty Allowance (ODA) as remuneration for assembly members, aside payment of sitting and transport allowances. Speaking at the screening of a video documentary at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) in Accra, Ms. Mardey Ohui Ofoe, Executive Director of the group, said the documentary was to solicit for the ILGS opinion on the proposal since it is a stakeholder in local government.

The documentary funded by the Rights and Voice Initiative (RAVI) was to ensure that assembly members were given remuneration to enable play their roles well. Ms. Ohui Ofoe said Assembly Members needed resources to enable them maintain close contact with their electoral areas, consult their people, meet the electorate before and after each meeting, maintain frequent liaison with organised productive economic groups and take part in communal labour.

This is to be effected through some deliberate policy guidelines, directive or legislative amendment and paid for from the Assembly's Annual Internally Generated Funds (IGF) and should be considered as part of the service and administration budget of the Assembly, she said.

Ms. Ohui Ofoe said when assembly members are resourced they would be brought closer to the people to enhance true local level participation in administration to improve the democratic agenda. "The lack of the necessary mechanisms to ensure smooth and effective functioning of the assembly members has an adverse effect the district assembly system and thus on local government," she said. Ms. Ohui Ofoe said government spent huge sums of money on district level elections but has no machinery in place to ensure that assembly members are supported and monitored to perform their constitutionally mandated duties.

The FFP is a non-profit news media and research organization using Information Communication Technology to address the interest of local communities.