Only An "Ignoramus" Will Say Scrap MP's Common Fund - Manso Adubia MP

Member of Parliament for Manso Adubia in the Ashanti Region has kicked against the reduction or scraping off of the percentage of the Assemblies’ Common Fund allocated to Members of Parliament.

Hon. Yaw Addo Frimpong believes that it is only out of ignorance that people will call for the reduction of the MPs Common Fund even if it is for a good cause.

Soon after president Akufo-Addo launched the Free Senior High School, some parents suggested to government to scrap the MPs common Fund to add up to the funds that will be used to sustain the programme.

Some of them maintained that MPs are not agents of development in the scope of Local Government so it is appropriate the fund is abolished.

Hon Frimpong noted that for developmental purposes, there was no need for their percentage of the common fund has to be taken off.

"It is only out ignorance that someone will say we should not be given our share of the common fund. They don't know what we go through even as the Free SHS has been implemented."

"If I tell you the number of students whose fees I pay every year, you'll be shocked; these are not only continuing students but tertiary students who are brilliant but needy. All that huge sums of monies come from the common fund which is just 4.6% of what is given the district assemblies."

He said members of parliament are always called to help with developmental projects like "borehole drilling, mechanisation or maintenance, and renovation of various infrastructure. For purposes of initiating developmental projects in our constituencies, it will be better it is left as it is," he explained.

When asked that MPs are not agents of development, he said: "that is very true, but when the district assembly is incapacitated to start a project, you have to help because what the people know is that they voted for you and not the DCE."

He said it was good for parents to show concern on the success of the Free SHS policy, but the funding to sustain it is not their common fund.