By Alex Ababio
Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has called for the abolition of ex-gratia payments, citing their failure to combat corruption and their outdated purpose.
“The intention behind ex-gratia payments was to combat corruption,” Bagbin stated, “but it no longer achieves this goal.”
Addressing a public forum in Kumasi marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth Republican Parliament, Bagbin emphasized that the payments were meant to assure public servants and political officeholders that their needs would be met post-service, urging them to prioritize public interests over personal gain.
“However,” he admitted, “this has not been the case, as the payments have not effectively curbed corruption.”
Bagbin expressed support for amending Article 71 of the Constitution to abolish these payments, which he believes have become unnecessary.
“The issue of ex gratia is complex,” Bagbin explained. “The founders intended it for specific categories of public servants and political officeholders, not just members of Parliament. It includes the auditor general, chairpersons of constitutional commissions, ministers of state, and others.”
“The concept was to assure them,” he continued, “that after their term, their needs would be taken care of, encouraging them to prioritize the people’s interests. Unfortunately, in practice, it hasn’t prevented corruption.”
“When I ran for president,” Bagbin recalled, “I pledged to amend this article if elected, as it no longer serves its purpose. I fully support efforts to remove Article 71 from the Constitution.”