New Patriotic Party presidential hopeful, Kwabena Agyepong, has called for the payments of ex-gratia to Article 71 office holders which occurs every four years to be stopped immediately.
According to Mr Agyepong, ex-gratia is supposed to a parachute payment to be given to a public appointee leaving office, but it has become an extra payment they receive every four years even if they are returning to their positions.
He singled out Members of Parliament in particular, naming Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, Majority leader and Suame MP, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and Adansi-Asokwa MP, K.T Hammond as a few of those unfairly benefiting from the current ex-gratia system.
He said: “Ex-gratia should be like a parachute payment. When you have served your country like a member of Parliament…it’s a difficult assignment. I would say it is like marriage. When you elevate a lady to certain level as a wife and you want to leave, that’s why they let you pay alimony,” the former NPP General Secretary said on October 6 during an interview with Joy News.
He continued: “You have to support her. You cannot allow her just to drop because you are leaving. That’s not right. It is not fair. You make somebody an honorable Member of Parliament, he served when he is going home, something little. Maybe he can take the car away.”
“…Not after every four years. I never understood that. If you are coming back it cannot be ex-gratia. I see the Speaker and the likes of Kyei Mensah, they must have benefited a lot. My good friend KT Hammond…that is not right. It cannot be right on any moral standing.”
Agyepong continued that the country has no money to be consistently making these payments, every four years to people who still get to stay in office and enjoy the benefits of their office, calling for it to be scrapped immediately
“We should stop it immediately. We don’t have the money as a country,” he added.
Source: theGhanaianVoice.Com