Double Salary: NPP MPs equally fall foul of taking double rent allowances – Sampson Ahi

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bodi, Sampson Ahi is questioning why government and the police are quiet over issues pertaining to the rent allowances of their MPs living in government bungalows but taking allowances for rent and yet are pursuing their colleague NDC MPs who allegedly took double salaries during their term in office.

Member of Parliament for Ada East constituency, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah alleged, days ago, that some appointees in the current administration are guilty of receiving double rent. She said some of them are reportedly receiving accommodation allowances while occupying state bungalows.

Mr. Ahi, speaking on Accra-based Okay FM called for an interrogation by the police, arguing, that these NPP MPs while occupying state bungalows as a result of their ministerial status are still taking rent allowances from parliament.

“The Police should also invite those MPs who are now Ministers and deputy ministers for questioning. I am happy that God has punished all of us. Why are they (NPP) silent over the rent allowance they’ve taken”, he quizzed.

Sampson Ahi who was named as one of the culprits in the scandal ourtrightly denied any involvement in the act. According to him, despite being contacted by officials at the Flagstaff House for his bank account details, he declined, knowing he was already being paid by parliament.

“So, how can you accuse me of taking double salaries? When you are a minister, you receive your salary from the seat of government. When you are an MP, you also receive your salary from Parliament. And so, when I was serving as Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, some officials from Flagstaff House contacted me to submit my bank details for them to pay my salary into but I refused. I told them that Parliament is paying me. So, I never received double salaries”, he noted.

Background

Some NDC MPs have come under attack over allegations that they received salaries while serving as both Members of Parliament and Ministers or Deputy Ministers.

A total of 25 ex-appointees were initially invited by the CID for questioning over allegations of having received double salaries as MPs and ministers, a claim most of them have denied. 18 of them were reportedly later called asked to disregard the invite by the CID.

8 persons so far have been interrogated by the CID. Meanwhile minority in parliament have vehemently denied the allegations tagging it as a witch-hunt attempt by government.

They argued that it is false that some 25 members of the NDC MPs, who were former ministers and deputy ministers, were paid double salaries as MPs and also as ministers and that what is seen as double salaries were paid in lieu of accumulated arrears the government owes them.