I was not brought up to enjoy luxury – Bagbin

Right Hon. Alban Bagbin, current Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament has reacted to claims he is blowing state cash lavishly.

The former Health Minister under the erstwhile Atta Mills administration has been in the news for allegedly spending tens of thousands of dollars on multiple trips to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

It was also reported that while receiving routine medical attention in the UAE, the Speaker who was in the company of his wife and children entitled to per diem demanded more cash.

But Office of the Speaker of Parliament in a swift response urged members of the general public to disregard mischievous media reportage on his recent travels to Dubai for medical review

It said the “The Rt. Hon. Speaker did not travel to Dubai with his children as is being alleged. Indeed, Mr. Speaker has never included his children in any of his trips.

“The Travel expenses for Mr. Speaker’s trip to Dubai is in accordance with what is prescribed for the Speaker of Parliament long before Rt. Hon Bagbin became Speaker, and also for analogous members of government such as the President, Vice President and the Chief Justice.

“The figures quoted in the story as per diem are false. The Speaker has no hand in the computation of his per diem and it is available as part of the official records of the state. It is part of the mischief that the publication is aimed at.

Reacting personally to the news items on Sunday in Wa, the Speaker indicated that he was not brought up to enjoy luxury.

“I don’t know how to enjoy. I was not brought up to enjoy luxury through my days as an MP till now. All the nonsense you read in the newspapers, let them belong to the trash”, he responded to the accusations.

View his Timepath below: