Majority Leader of Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin is pushing for the Speaker to establish an adhoc committee to review the conditions of service for current and former Members of Parliament (MPs).
In the past few weeks, legislators have raised concerns over the “abject poverty” former MPs endured after their exit from office.
They argued that aside from the ex-gratia they received, there was no health insurance scheme to cover the dire health conditions MPs developed after many years of working under pressure.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on March 15, Mr Afenyo-Markin urged the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who was presiding over the House to direct that a committee be established to address these issues.
“Mr Speaker, fortunately, you are a Member of Parliament yourself and fortunately you are in the chair.
“Mr Speaker, we are going to set the committee now. I know that when Mr Speaker [Alban Bagbin] comes he won’t say no because Mr Speaker himself is a man interested in the welfare of members and a former Member of Parliament,” he said.
But the Second Deputy Speaker ruled that a special committee was unnecessary since he had referred a similar matter to the House Committee a week ago.
As such, he asked the House Committee to develop findings so Parliament could take the matter up.
“I hope the House Committee is working on the referral I made in respect of this same issue last week. I repeat I hope the House Committee is working on the referral I made in respect of these same issues within a week. This is the fifth or sixth tribute we are making in honour of our late Members of Parliament.
“I believe others may come. So, I think we are all lamenting as the leader said ‘It is time we have to take a critical look at it and take a decision.’ So, I hope the House Committee will report for us to take it from there,” he said.
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