The Center for Democratic Development (CDD) – Ghana has stated that the only means Ghanaians can stop the payment of huge ex-gratia to politicians is resorting to staging demonstration and petitions to relevant authorities.
This comes on the heels of remark made by the Paramount Chief and the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV in a statement he issued on June 6, 2022 indicating that he has returned GHS365,392.67 paid to him as ex-gratia by the state for serving on the Council of State somewhere 2017 and 2020.
As indicated by him, he doesn’t think it is fitting to be paid ex-gratia since he was paid every month during the time that he was serving on the Council of State.
Togbui Afede further expressed that he is against the payment of ex-gratia and has been searching for ways of returning the cash when he was advised that it had been paid to him.
Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Tuesday, the Senior Programs Officer at CDD-Ghana, Paul Aborampah Mensah praised Torgbui Afede for the move and asked others recipients to follow suit.
“Particularly our Parliamentarians who serve thus for various years and consistently get these ex-gratia. To me it’s something we really want to check again as a nation. A country that has not had the option to address the needs of individuals and I can’t likewise contrast it with any developed country that does that. So I praise Torgbui’s gesture and I believe our leaders
will observe that and act appropriately,” the CDD Policy Lead expressed.
He noted that for such a practice to be halted “It is very well may be set off by consensus , advocacy, staging demonstration, petitions from citizens , you see policy development is taken from various points. It is taken from research information, it’s taken by consensus, requests and taken by such countless forms .
“So in the event that we prepare ourselves, in the event that we resolve to request it we can do that as citizens. Obviously Parliament is there for ourselves and who chose Parliament to be there and every one of the leafers that we set up are supposed to serve our advantage. Most likely they have not understood the misstep they are making. We really want to as citizens prepare ourselves in one form, ‘battle for it’ demand for it, call for it.”
Mr. Abrompa further expressed that decisions are not by any means the only structure to use in requesting responsibility from leaders , “so everyone will say keep a watch out the following four years I won’t vote.”