Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina, Alhaji Amadu Bukari Sorogo has suggested lawmakers should be offered assistance after their tenure of office.
Sharing his life after Parliament, he said he was faring well but cannot say the same for some former MPs who are struggling.
To him, legislators are overburdened while in office and end up with nothing as a result of “too many sacrifices”.
“Excellent in terms of freedom but of course challenging because even though you’re out of Parliament you still follow and from afar notice everything is not going on well as it’s supposed to be in Parliament. Some of our former MPs are in a sorry state and it’s sad.
“There should be a way out. We formed an association former Members of Parliament Association which the Speaker intends to assist.”
“When you leave Parliament it’s difficult to get a job, where are you going to work? Who is employing you?” he quizzed.
Speaking on Adom TV’s morning show, Badwam, he indicated that former legislators especially one-term MPs end up in a sorry state because they exceed their financial thresholds to please constituents.
“When voted in as an MP, as a first-timer who plans to stand again, banks approach you with loan offers. You’re asked to use your ex-gratia as collateral so if you lose your primaries it’s over. When a first-timer loses it’s over because you in debt, you can’t contest again.
“Some sell their cars, others can’t purchase fuel, they are struggling,” he lamented.
Alhaji Sorogo has therefore advised lawmakers to plan and limit campaign promises to avoid going bankrupt.
“But all said and done we need to plan, we need to limit campaign promises,” he admonished.