Minority must reject ex-gratia if… – Sampson Ahi

 A member of Ghana’s Parliament on the ticket of the outgoing National Democratic Congress has challenged members of the New Patriotic Party in Parliament to reject their end of service benefits if they think President Mahama should not be passing last minute agreements.

The NPP have expressed concerns about President Mahama’s approval of fresh contracts and appointments despite having less than a month to vacate office and hand over power to president-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo in January 2017.

Though the NDC have argued that there is nothing wrong with such actions, the NPP think otherwise.

Parliament is currently deliberating on end of service benefits, salaries and emoluments of Article 71 office holders which includes the president.

Per Ghana’s laws, Parliament and the Executive have the mandate to review each other’s ex-gratia.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, Sampson Ahi who is the MP for the Bodi constituency dared the NPP MPs to turn down their ex-gratia if it’s finally approved.

“If they are arguing that we are doing last minute loans or programmes what do they say to the fact that we are now working on approving our ex-gratia. The ex-gratia of parliamentarians must be approved by the executive and Parliament will also approve that of the executive. As we speak we haven’t done it.

 So why are they not saying that because there is a new government we shouldn’t allow the outgoing president to approve the ex-gratia for the parliamentarians?”

“Why are we behaving as if, if NDC does anything, it is criminal but the NPP will do it and nobody can say anything about it,” he quizzed.

We’ll boycott last minute agreements

Mr. Ahi’s remark comes on the back of the Minority’s notice of a possible boycott to avoid approving government’s last minute agreements which they claimed were being pushed to parliament illegally.

According to the Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the sheer disregard of the house in relation to handover notes in the ongoing transition process as a guide to business in the house and the tabling of new loans are unfortunate.

“… As I speak to you now handover notes have not been submitted to Parliament. Parliament has not been presented with handover notes from the Administrator General covering the activities of the presidency, neither has Parliament been given any report relating to the projections of developments that government envisages.

“…Parliament cannot say that it is on its own and decide on which business to transact including the approval of new loans. In the absence of such accurate handover notes and reports to Parliament, one would expect that in the spirit of consensus building, the current administration would clear any undertakings especially new engagements with the presidential transition team. The President John Dramani Mahama administration has elected not to avail itself of this vehicle. In the circumstance, we the NPP minority caucus wants to register our deepest disgust at unilateral decisions being taken to have Parliament approve of loans, suppliers credit agreements and project implementation agreements. The latter of which process is unknown to the rules of procedure, that is our standing orders in this Parliament,” he said.