Opinions of Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Columnist: Boateng, Jerry John Paul

Parliament of ghana in breach of the rent act

of 1963, act 229, the time for the supreme court must act now

The Legislative Arm of Ghana, the very arm that passed the Rent Act of 1963(Act 229) on the 27th April, 1963 are the very people breaking the law. Ideally, we expect the law makers to uphold the law and ensure that the law is enforced to the fullest.

The GHC50, 000 Rent Allowance given to every Parliamentarian in Ghana this year and years gone is the highest breach of the Cantonment Rent Act, Act 229.The Rent Act stipulate that ‘no one shall rent a room or a house and pay an advance fee beyond 6 months’.

Here we are in Ghana today; Legislatures are given GHC 50,000 to rent a house to the next 4 years of their stay in Parliament. As young people and as members of the I.Before World Ghana (NGO), we believe that, the very body that passed the law is the very engaged in breaches of the laws of the land.

It is strange to see Parliamentarian encourage house owners (La
nd Lords and Land Ladies) through their act of taking GHC50, 000 to rent their rooms to the poor Ghanaian workers for 2 years, 3years, 4years, 5years and over. This is a bad precedent the ‘Honorable’ August House is setting.

If the Parliament house is breaking the very law they passed in the 1960s, who else won’t break the laws of the land. The laws passed to regulate the lives and operations of Ghanaians include every one, be it the President of the Land, the Vice President, the 275 Parliamentarian and the ordinary citizens).
As Ghanaians, we should be very much worried and concern about the illegality perpetuated by our MPs.This is a direct rape and defile of our laws by our MPs.
We are calling on the Supreme Court of Ghana to intervene and stop the MPs of Ghana from raping and defiling the laws they pass. The law they say is not a respecter of any individuals or persons.

The I.Before World Ghana will like to encourage Ghanaians to be conscious of the law and lets all obey the laws for the good of Ghana.
Ghana deserves the best. Let’s respect our law.
Parliament must stop the breach of law now.

SIGN
Jerry John Paul Boateng
President
I.Before World Ghana
0248660252