Former Member of Parliament for Bantama, Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has called on Ghanaians and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to advocate for the scrapping of the end-of-service benefits, popularly known as ex-gratia, for Members of the 8th Parliament, including denying them their salaries for the rest of the year.

Speaking to journalists at a New Patriotic Party (NPP) campaign event in the Aowin constituency in the Western North Region, Kokofu, who is also a former Chief Executive of the Environmental Protection Agency, said his call is predicated on the misconduct of Members of Parliament, particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus, who have chosen to disrupt government business, hence drawing the nation backwards.

He lamented the recent controversy occasioned by Speaker Alban Bagbin, which has resulted in an indefinite suspension of parliamentary sittings.

"I am sure the NDC caucus is happy with this situation because, in their view, when government business continues and approvals are secured, it will benefit the Ghanaian people... Currently, the government has secured a $250 million loan aimed at enhancing the lives of Ghanaians through infrastructure projects, including the construction of roads and hospitals, as well as strengthening our security agencies. However, these efforts remain stalled as Parliament is not in session," he remarked.

Dr. Kokofu also urged Ghanaians to vote for the NPP and all its parliamentary candidates to avoid a scenario where the NDC continues to hinder Ghana’s progress due to political manoeuvring.

He emphasised that a strong NPP representation in Parliament is essential to safeguard the nation’s development and ensure that partisan politics does not impede development projects.