MPs receive GH¢47 million as ex gratia
A total of GH¢47 million has been paid by the government as ex gratia
to the 230 Members of Parliament (MPs) who served in the Fifth
Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
Out
of the amount, 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.
Highly placed
sources in Parliament told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that
the amount paid to the MPs who were no longer in Parliament included a
resettlement grant.
More than 90 MPs who served in the Fifth Parliament are not members of the present Parliament.
One
of the beneficiary MPs who is serving in the Sixth Parliament explained
that the ex gratia was not paid in bulk but in three tranches.
The first tranche was paid in January this year, the second in February, while the final tranche was paid last month.
According
to a source, IOUs which were taken by some MPs just after the December
7, 2012 elections were deducted from the ex gratia.
In addition, those who had not completed the payment of their car loans also had their debts deducted.
The
Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Mr Jones Kugblenu, would,
however, not comment on the issue, saying he was not privy to it, since
it had been discussed behind closed doors.
Members of
Parliament are part of Article 71 office holders whose salaries and
emoluments are determined by committees set up by the President.
Members
of Parliament who served in the Fifth Parliament are lucky to have
received their ex gratia without any impediment from the Executive.
The payment of ex gratia to MPs who served in the Fourth Parliament generated a lot of public discussion and outcry.
When
he took office in 2009, the late President John Evans Atta Mills
ordered a freeze on the payment of the benefit, following public outcry
over the quantum of ex gratia.
The action followed arguments
over whether the document based on which the ex gratia was to be paid
received proper parliamentary and Executive approval.
The MPs were, however, paid what was due them, with each of them receiving an average of GH¢80,000.
The payment of ex gratia to MPs who served in the Fifth Parliament was based on the recommendations of the Professor Ewura Ama Addy Committee which had been set up by the late President Mills.
Story by Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
