The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, has criticised the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama’s promise to scrap the payment ex-gratia.
According to him, the money paid to Members of Parliament (MPs) every four years is accumulated salary arrears and not ex gratia.
The former president has said he will scrap the payment of ex-gratia for members of the Executive under Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution when elected president in the December polls.
Mr Mahama emphasised it is burden on the public purse and the removal is therefore to ensure judicious use of public funds.
But the former Deputy Minister for Railway Development has said Mr Mahama lacks understanding despite his service in various political capacities.
“There is nothing like ex gratia for Mahama to contemplate cancellation. The promise to cancel shows he doesn’t even understand what he is saying. To think that he is a former MP, Vice President and President, he has been deceived,” he said.
Speaking on Adom FM Burning Issues, Mr Kubi explained lawmakers do not know the exact salary they are entitled to until their tenure ends.
“The monies we are paid are not actual salaries. We are just paid on accounts. In the third year of our service, that is when the emolument committee is set up to determine our salaries and because we are going home, we call it ex gratia but that is not it. It is our back pay for accumulated salary,” he explained.
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