MPs to get Pension Scheme

A complaint filed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pusiga, Hajia Laadi Ayamba, Thursday, about the poor living conditions of former legislators has provoked the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, to direct the House Committee to take immediate steps to up a Pension Scheme for Members.

The Scheme is to take care of Members when they go on retirement.

The Committee as directed by the Speaker, is supposed to work hand-in-hand with the Majority and Minority Chief Whips of the House to ensure that the Pension Scheme come on stream.

They are also to examine other welfare matters to take care of former MPs and those who will go on retirement.

This is to compliment an insurance package the House is working on with the State Insurance Company (SIC) for its Members.

“Hon. Members, it is important for us to seriously consider matters relating to former Members of the House. We all know that the lives of many former Members are not as we would like to see. In fact, it pains me personally to see how we look like after we have served and people think these are people who are making money in this country. It is painful”, noted the Speaker.

The Speaker who was very emotional when commenting further on the matter said the poor living conditions of former MPs should be a guide to serving Members for them to put their house in order before going on retirement.

“We all know that it is more true than what has even been said but we don’t do anything about it – we don’t see it. Unfortunately, the public office even don’t sympathize with us”, he added.

The comments of the Speaker follows a complaint about the neglect of Dr. Kwabena Adjei, a former Majority Leader of Parliament and Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

She was contributing to a statement made by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, eulogizing Dr. Adjei who died a few weeks ago for his sterling contributions to the democratic dispensation of the country.

Matters bothering the poor living conditions of retiring MPs have long been discussed by the House but very little or no effort has been made to address them.

It therefore remains to be seen whether there would be a change this time around considering the public reaction which has often greeted such discourse whenever they are raised.

The public consider the MPs to be enriching themselves while in office and also take very fat End-of-Service Benefit after every four years regardless of the retention or otherwise of the legislator.