Credible information emanating from the seat of Government has strongly indicated that President John Mahama, otherwise described as the ‘illegitimate President’ by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is considering blocking the salaries and monetary payments to the Minority NPP MPs who have abandoned their Parliamentary duties.
“Since to them -NPP and its Members of Parliament (MP)- Mr. Mahama is an illegal President authorizing the payment of their salaries, Common Fund, Diplomatic Passports among others will also be illegal”, was how a Castle source put it to The Herald, over the weekend, adding “No Work! No Pay!”
President Mahama is said to hold the view that national interest must override parochial partisan interest; those who have decided to put national interest aside, for their party’s directive cannot continue to enjoy the taxpayers’ money for no work done.
This decision, if carried out means that the 121 Parliamentarians belonging to the NPP Minority, led by Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu will not receive their January salaries, which according to The Herald’s information was being processed as at last week, and expected to land in the bank accounts of the parliamentarians.
Again, an MP being denied of his Common Fund means that he could not sponsor any developmental project in his or her constituency. Financial donations at naming ceremonies, funerals, payments of hospital bills, scholarships for constituents are also likely to suffer.
It would be recalled that the Minority last Thursday, January 23, 2013 boycotted the vetting of ministerial nominees, stating that the party has petitioned the Supreme Court over the legibility of the election of President Mahama.
According to the Minority MPs, until the Supreme Court decides on the petition, Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey have presented to the court claiming “a stolen verdict” at the December 7 Presidential polls, they will boycott all bills emanating from the presidency.
Shockingly, while on boycott and calling President Mahama names, Minority MPs to continue to grab a whopping GH50,000 (500, million) as rent for two years, after which they would take another GH¢50,000, making GH¢ 100,000 in all for the four years in Parliament.
The President who had been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bole-Bamboi Constituency, in the Northern Region for three consecutive times, is said to have fumed at the Minority MPs for abandoning the vetting of ministerial nominees exercise hence has started discussing the blocking of the salaries of the NPP MPs until they see the need to render service to the nation, but not to their party.