Honourable Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Mr. Kwame Agbodza, is urging President Nana Akufo-Addo to set the pace by, setting up a committee early enough to determine the salary of Members of Parliament as captured in Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution.
In his statement, he indicated that over the years, Presidents wait until the tail end of their four year mandate before setting up the committee and if this exercise is done ahead of time would help save a lot of problems.
According to the Adaklu MP, the single spine salary negotiation is done way ahead of time and it helps address possible problems.
He was not happy with the way the Legislative and Executive arm of government is organised, in respect of emoluments and called for the removal of bottlenecks.
In his speech, he again stated that it should be clear where MP who are also Ministers of State should take their salaries from. “If MPs Ministers are paid from Parliament there is nothing wrong with that, in that case there is not transposition for errors”
Article 71 (1) of the 1992 Constitution provides: “The salaries and allowances payable, and the facilities and privileges available, to (a) The Speaker and Deputy Speakers and Members of Parliament; (b) The Chief Justice and the other Justices of the Superior Court of Judicature; (c) The Auditor-General, the Chairman and Deputy Chairmen of the Electoral Commission, Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and his deputies, and the District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator; (d) The Chairman, Vice Chairman and the other members of (i) a National Council for Higher Education howsoever described: (ii) the Public Services Commission; (iii) the National Media Commission, (iv) the Lands Commission and (v) the National Commission for Civic Education, being expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund, shall be determined by the President on the recommendation of a committee of not more than five persons appointed by the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
