John Kumah, a Deputy Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Ejisu, believes that providing vehicle loans to Members of Parliament while employees in other branches of government get cars for their job is unjust and must be addressed.
According to him, the loan arrangement worth $28 million for MPs to purchase vehicles for official usage is unlawful, since the constitution requires that the consolidated fund be invoiced for members of parliament’s emoluments and perks.
“By what reason are you saying that instead of charging it on the consolidated fund, you are giving me a loan. Loans for what? Let’s treat MPs fairly… They don’t deserve loans, they deserve cars charged on the consolidated fund,” he said.
According to the Ejisu MP, the constitution’s provisions defining the emoluments of Article 71 officeholders have been in place since 1992 and have indicated that all such entitlements must be funded from the consolidated fund, making it illegal for successive governments to provide car loans to Members of Parliament and Council of State Members.
“It is unlawful and unconstitutional, and the fact that we have made errors in the past does not justify continuing,” John Kumah stated on Citi TV’s Point of View.
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The lawmaker stated that he has filed a letter on the issue and would not hesitate, together with other legislators who oppose the vehicle loan purchase deal, to seek judicial enforcement of the law.
“I have submitted a memo… We can go to court to enforce our rights, and I’m telling you, we will go to court if we have to,” he said.
He further added that other elected officials such as unit committee and assembly members as well as Council of State members must be treated fairly by being provided their entitlements and emoluments funded by the consolidated fund.
Meanwhile, Rockson Dafeamakpor, the Member of Parliament for the South Dayi Constituency, has supported John Kumah’s recommendations, stating that the constitution must be followed to the letter.
He also criticized the public relations directorate of parliament for not adequately educating the public about the problems surrounding Members of Parliament’s entitlements prior to the current loan deal scandal.
“I blame the public affairs department of parliament. They ought to have been engaging in stakeholder consultation on this matter, before time is due on some of these things,” he said.
Source: CITINEWSROOM
