Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Bagbin is advocating for the Legislative arm of government to be well resourced to enable them to do their work very well.
According to him before the presentation of the budget, he discussed with the finance minister non-release of statutory funds in his lobby together with his deputies such funds like District Assembly Common Fund and GETfund, and National Health Insurance.
He admonished that; “If you want the arm of government to work, enable it do its job, otherwise scrap it and stop wasting everybody’s time; we should not pretend we are practicing democracy because every four years we go for an election”.
He told lawmakers that he was having discussion with the finance minister on how parliament should be well resourced and that delayed the presentation of the budget, and he noticed in the media that he was the one who delayed the presentation of the budget because he was demanding double of what was allocated to parliament.
“This is not the way to go, when we sit in conclave and discuss such matters it comes out, I would not have referred to it but it has influenced some peoples’ perception of me but I am not a member of Parliament”.
Again, many of the things MPs benefit from, he does not benefit from it and he is not entitled to common fund, car loan, rent allowance; “I do not get those things, so when I am working and fighting for Parliament, is not for my benefit, at this age if I have not enjoyed life then what again?”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com