Minority Leader demands more pay “Ghana’s MPs continue to be among the worst paid in Africa”

• Posted on November 14, 2013
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu has called on the “nation to objectively and impartially deal” with the low salaries of Members of Parliament.

Speaking at the fourth Liberty lectures organized by the Danquah Institute Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu stated that MPs must be adequately resourced to help the fight against corruption.

According to him, Ghana’s MPs continue to be among the worst paid in Africa although they do most of the work for the citizenry.

He lamented that unlike a minister of state “who is provided with a cross country vehicle and a saloon car to work which is purchased, serviced, maintained, fueled and chauffeur driven at the expense of the state, the MP who is to ensure that the ministers and indeed all the MDA’s behave as expected, has to take a loan to buy a vehicle to perform his statutory function and even then he is descended on and scavenged.”

Comparing the Ghanaian Member of Parliament to other African countries, he said, “Today as we speak in Ghana, the take home salary of Members of Parliament is less than $2500 which does not compare to the $10, 500 of Kenyan MPs, $ 7200 of Tanzanian MPs and $ 7100 of Nigerian MPs. How do the citizens expect members of parliament to perform their functions,” he questioned.

By: Winnifred P. Ndamse