Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John, has praised Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson for what he describes as a remarkable improvement in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

Speaking at a meeting with Regional Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and Coordinating Directors in Tamale, the Northern Regional Minister said assemblies were now receiving significant releases under President John Dramani Mahama’s government, a development he said had brought relief and excitement to local authorities.

“The Common Fund that comes to the various assemblies, tell me in the history of Ghana when have you ever experienced such a quantum of money coming to the assembly?” he asked.

According to him, many MMDCEs are happy about the level of support reaching their assemblies, especially those who have taken the time to understand the difficulties previous district chief executives faced in accessing funds for development.

“Our MMDCEs who are here are very happy about what is happening in their assemblies, especially those of them who have taken the pain to know from those of us who have been DCEs before what we went through,” he said.

He noted that in the past, assemblies struggled to receive even the limited amounts promised to them, particularly over the last eight years.

“The monies that used to come, and especially in the past eight years, the money that was even promised them, that peanut that was promised them, was not even coming,” he stated.

The Northern Regional Minister said the situation had changed under President Mahama and Dr Forson’s stewardship at the Ministry of Finance.

“But under John Dramani Mahama’s government, under the ministership of Dr Ato Forson, we have seen wonders being performed. We are very, very happy about what we are experiencing so far,” he said.