NDC, NPP MPs chase GH¢452,000 ex-gratia in unity

Barring any last-minute changes, 275 Members of Parliament (MPs) from Ghana’s two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who served in parliament between January 2017 and January 2021 are set to each receive approximately GH¢452,000 as ex-gratia MyNewsGh.com can confirm.

Surprisingly, the NPP and NDC MPs were “highly cooperative” with each other without any of the usual drama of boycott.

The MPs of the 7th Parliament, whose tenure will end on January 7th, 2021 are expected to have their accounts credited with the amount (in tranches) when all other outstanding matters in the ex-gratia negotiations are dealt with.

Outstanding matters include whether MPs who were re-elected should be paid the same amount as MPs who lost their seats.

For example, in 2013, MyNewsGh.com’s checks showed the MPs who retained their membership of the House after the December 7, 2012, elections received GH¢276,000 each, while those who lost their seats were paid GH¢311,000 each.

In all, the state spent a total of GH¢67 million as MPs ex-gratia for 230 MPs.

In 2017, the Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh committee report proposed an ex-gratia amount which led to public outcry hence was rejected, leading to the state paying the same amount paid in 2013 with a formula- all article 71 officeholders took home 4-month salary for each of the years that they have been in office.

This meant that an MP took home an average amount of Gh¢305,992 while the Speaker of Parliament got Gh¢338,740 and the President, Gh¢423,428.

Some analysts and activists have argued that MPs who continue to win elections must be paid no such money so long as they remain in the House and continue to draw salaries and other privileges that come with their stay in the house.

Members of Parliament are part of Article 71 officeholders whose salaries and emoluments are determined by committees set up by the President.