Minority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has hit hard at the
Convention People¹s Party shadow Minister for Justice and all others who
argue that gratuities paid Members of Parliament after the end of their
four-year term is unnecessary and should be scrapped, describing them as
speaking out of ignorance. Mr Bright Akwetey had argued that politics was a
voluntary service to the nation for which Ghanaians need not pay for the
comfort of politicians on their retirement.
He also frowned on the constitutional provision mandating the President to
appoint a committee to determine the emoluments of Article 71 office
holders, and stressed the need for a permanent institution such as the Fair
Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to discharge that responsibility.
However, speaking in an interview with Emefa Apawu, host of the Big Bite on
Xfm 95.1, a privately owned commercial radio station in Accra, Mr Kyei
Mensah Bonsu will not begrudge people who speak against MP¹s being paid
ex-gratia because to him, ³they speak out of ignorance². Justifying why MP¹s
deservedly should be given some ex-gratia after their term, Mr Kyei Mensah
Bonsu, who also is the Member of Parliament for Suame, said unlike members
of the executive and Municipal/Metropolitan/District Chief Executives who
are given vehicles to work with upon assumption of office by the state, the
MP will have to pay for his own vehicle to work, adding that many a time,
the loans secured for the vehicles, are not paid for within the four-year
period and will have to be deducted from the MP¹s ex-gratia, sometimes,
leaving the MP with very little amount. ³Ministers are given state vehicles;
four by four and one salon car, and it is free of charge; nobody questions
that. Even DCE¹s are given vehicles to work, free of charge, fuelled,
chauffeur driven and maintained at the expense of the state; nobody
questions it. Is the DCE anywhere close to the MP?² We have said that the
state should provide same facility to the MP, so that when you are leaving,
you leave the vehicle for whoever is coming to use it, but the state then
tells the MP, because of your sheer number, we cannot do that. Sometimes, I
think that is even not justifiable considering the number of DCE¹s we have².
He said those arguing that MP¹s ex-gratia should be scrapped should as well
call for an amendment of article 71 of the constitution which stipulates
that requirement. Hon Kyei Mensah Bonsu warned that making such calls could
be unsafe for Ghana¹s parliament as it would lack the ³quality materials
needed to make quality laws², saying, ³if we expect to have people at
certain levels, we should remunerate them sufficiently to retain them
there².
Story by Abena Asiedua Tenkorang/Xfm 95.1/Accra/Ghana
