A senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana has described the calls by some MP for their ex gratia as “self-seeking, repulsive, and self-aggrandising”.
Professor Ransford Gymapo said, “The call is annoying, repulsive, self-seeking, self-perpetuating and self-aggrandising.”
He told Winston Amoah on the Super Morning Show Thursday that, such a call “can only be made by politicians who, with great respect, have no conscience in the wake of the economic challenges that we are going through now as a nation.”
Some current and former MPs have called for the payment of an estimated ¢29 million in ex gratia arrears dating back to 2005 which has since sparked public outrage.
The call is led by Majority Leader in Parliament and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu.
Adding his voice to those who have called out the legislators, Prof Gyampo said, “the State does not owe them anything”.
“I am angered by the discussion that has gone on and I think that as a people, as a country and ordinary citizens we are not angry enough so that creates the opportunity for some of these utterances and some of these demands to go on.”
He added, “I was expecting the MP to talk about the fact that every four years they receive ex-gratia and that people have been there for so many years.”
Prof Gyampo said there is everything wrong with the MPs receiving such bounty every four years and then go on to serve again after four years.
“It doesn’t happen anywhere and they have already drained staff resources and I don’t think that the state owes them anything again,” he said.
The Political Science lecturer stressed that energies should rather be focused on matters plaguing the economy such as the fight against coronavirus or the controversial voters’ registration processes the Electoral Commission would like to hold ahead of the general elections.
“This is not the time to be talking about these things. We are supposed to be talking about the feasibility of holding elections and keeping our nation safe,” he said.