Double salary saga: I’m happy God has punished all of us – Sampson Ahi

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bodi, Sampson Ahi, says he is happy that God has also exposed his political opponents, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for trying to tarnish his hard-earned reputation together with some other members of the umbrella family.

Some members of the NPP who are MPs and also Ministers, according to the Bodi lawmaker, have taken rent allowance from Parliament while occupying state bungalows as a result of their ministerial status.

This, he noted, is thievery, wondering why the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has not invited the beneficiaries for questioning.

Some NDC MPs who were Ministers and Deputy Ministers in the erstwhile Mahama administration are currently being investigated for taking double salaries while in government.

Sampson Ahi who is alleged to be one of them told Accra-based Okay FM, Wednesday, that he never took double salaries as MP and Deputy Minister for Works and Housing.

According to him, when Flagstaff House (now Jubilee House), the seat of government contacted him to submit his bank details for payment, he declined and instead told the authorities that he is receiving his salary from 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.

However, he said he finds it strange why the NPP government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will witch-hunt members of the umbrella family for allegedly taking double salaries knowing very well that it is the Controller and Accountant General that reconciles all the accounts before authorizing payment.

To Ahi, all MPs in the Seventh Parliament, including those in the NPP, have also received GH?90,000 each as their rent allowance spanning the four-year period, with some now occupying state bungalows, yet have not refunded the rent allowance they took.

“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.