Opinions of Tuesday, 29 November 2022

Columnist: Rockson Adofo

What an Honourable Member of Parliament!

Parliament of Ghana Parliament of Ghana

I invite all interested Ghanaians to watch the video on a Member of the Gambian Parliament as found in this publication. It was forwarded to me by one of my WhatsApp contacts, Mr Agya Owusu.

The relevance of the message and action taken by the Member of Parliament is such that I should not keep it to myself but share it with all discerning Ghanaians and Africans by giving it wider dissemination and viewing through my online publication.

The MP is refusing to accept the unreasonably hefty increment in their salaries as legislators. Not only that, all the allowances on top of their salaries are seen by her as robbing the nation and the poor Gambian citizens.

She understands her presence in parliament as a lawmaker to be serving her constituents, thus, being of service to her country and people but not to be served. She should not be enriching herself at the expense of the poor masses of Gambia, she asserts.



Is her mentality not in contrast to that of Ghana’s MPs? Which Ghanaian MP has ever stood up in parliament or outside parliament to condemn their huge salaries, ex-gratia, four-yearly car allowance within the region of US$100,000, bulk-paid housing allowance every four years to the tune of about GHC50,000, etc., and some topping it up with government contracts to rake in more money for themselves?

A University student employed with NABCO is on a salary of GHC700.00 a month while an MP takes Ghc29,000.000 gross with a net income of Ghc11,000, I stand to be corrected. Yet, our MPs say they are not paid enough.

Are they not in parliament doing dirty politics most of the time? They are too partisan and politicised that in my candid opinion, they are not serving the nation and the people but their political parties and their parochial interests.

I call for the abolition of their ex-gratia. They should be enrolled in the normal social security pension scheme. It is absolutely not right for the MPs to be receiving hefty ex-gratia payments every four years whilst a University student either earns Ghc700.00 or roams about unemployed.

I am not ready to delve into how disgusting the Ghanaian MPs are, looking at their sabotaging attitudes.

Fellow Ghanaians, do Ghanaian MPs deserve to be addressed as honourable? Are they serving the country as legislators or they are serving their selfish parochial interests?

Yes, Kennedy Agyapong takes all salaries and allowances due him. However, he gives them manifold back to society, seeing the degree of his philanthropy.

Ghanaian MPs do not deserve the title honourable, unlike the Gambian legislator in the video.

I tip my hat to the Honourable Gambian MP for Banjul South Constituency.