Yes, Gh¢4,000 Salary Not Enough For MP's

They got Gh¢34,000 funeral expense money to make up

On March 5, 2014, I wrote an article warning Ghanaians about a SLUSH Fund Parliament is trying to create to ease the financial 'burden' our Parliamentarians have put on themselves, weekends activities like funerals, weddings, baby naming ceremonies etc. Hardly anybody paid any attention to what I wrote but it has come to pass that, this fund they named CONSTITUTIONAL FUND has a new name, MP's MONITORING PROJECTS FUND and each MP has been allocated Gh¢34,000 to monitor projects within their constituencies.

Just read what is constitutional fund? Read what Majority Leader and Minister in Charge of Government Business in Parliament Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor said about this fund.

"Another person cracked a joke and said people like you why do you think anybody will send you to a particular ministry? You will go and be Konongo kaya. You will not chop, and you won’t allow anybody to chop. And these things can be worrying, Dr. Kunbuor lamented. He said there is a proposal to create a constitutional fund to deal with the financial pressure put on MPs"

What financial pressure is put on MP's? The MP's when they are trying to win their Parliamentary seats make promises to their constituents or buy their votes with promises and when time comes up for them to pay up, they blame their constituents for promises they can't fulfill.

Fast forward to what Member of Parliamnet (MP) for North Dayi, George Loh, said about his Gh¢4,000 take home pay.He said it is not enough for him in view of the many responsibilities he has to bear as a legislator. This is an MP who earns a whopping Gh¢7,000 gross pay every month even working as a part-timer. Members of Parliament work less than four months a year but collects monthly payments for twelve months and other mouth watering benefits but these LOOTERS are not satisfied and believe you have to give them more money for their weekends entertainment.

Read what this North Dayi MP said."I have seen other people's salary and the MPs salary is nowhere near them", he challenged adding, to have an informed discussion, "let's put the figures out". He explained being in parliament is not as rosy as it looks despite fierce competition to get elected.There are several other deductions that come out of your salary....and this is the same money you use to do funerals and others; it is not as good as it looks".

When did he say this and where? He said this when Parliament was trying to justify why Members should be given this Gh¢34,000 to monitor projects. What does monitor projects mean? Are the MP's not paid to do just that with government provided cars filled with petrol and drivers?

Folks, your MP's are not going to monitor any projects with this Gh¢34,000 but rather they are hiding this money under a fanciful name to make it look legal but this is a funeral and weddings expense money being given to them when our citizens are being blinded or when we are not paying attention to them. Are we going to allow these "Armed Robbers" masquerading as law makers to run away with another booty? When are these Politicians going to be satisfied despite earning more money in one month than an average Ghanaian worker earns in the whole year?

Read below what I warned Ghanaians about almost three months ago.

Feature Article of Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Columnist: Sarpong, Justice

"Friends Ghanaian Countrymen, Lend Me Your Ears"

Now that I have your attention, are you aware your member of Parliament is trying to create a slush fund in Parliament to keep their high class lifestyle flying? Seriously, I am not pettifogging but bringing to your attention a law they are trying to pass during the night they call CONSTITUTIONAL FUND? What is constitutional fund? Read what Majority Leader and Minister in Charge of Government Business in Parliament Dr Benjamin Kunbuor said about this fund.

"Another person cracked a joke and said people like you why do you think anybody will send you to a particular ministry? You will go and be Konongo kaya. You will not chop, and you won’t allow anybody to chop. And these things can be worrying, Dr Kunbuor lamented.He said there is a proposal to create a constitutional fund to deal with the financial pressure put on MPs"

Nobody is putting financial pressure on Members of Parliament, their 'show off'' lifestyle some of them cannot afford is what is putting financial pressure on them. Members of Parliament are now becoming welfare Kings and Queens in the system. They want everything to be provided to them for free, WHY?

In layman terms which these not so clever MP's have neologized a new language for, what it means is that, these MP's are demanding from the people of Ghana to create a fund where each MP may get say GHc 4,000 a month so that when he or she goes to a funeral or birthday party in his constituency, he will have money to donate to the bereaved family or reward a birhday boy or girl. Is that my responsibility as a Taxpayer to put money in the pocket of an MP to display like that in a wedding by Nigerians? Folks, I am not engaging in sciamachy but I am fighting blatherskites MP's drawing huge salaries and demanding more.

A proposal to create a constitutional fund to ease financial pressure on MP's?

Are these people in Parliament serious? What about a constitutional fund for workers to ease financial pressure from family members? What about a constitutional fund for commercial Drivers to ease the financial pressure put on them by the Police who erect barriers on the road and engage in "lalasulala"(demanding money from drivers)? Why not a constitutional fund for Policemen to ease the financial burden on them so that they will not push pressure on drivers?

Why should my tax money be set aside for a stupid member of Parliament to go and splurge it at funerals, birthday parties, baby naming ceremonies and others? Is it my responsibility to ease the financial burden on an MP who promises his constituents a lot of things they can't do? I have read about an mp who boasts of having paid for 300 constituents NHIS premiums. This is not his money but a special fund set up for Parliamentarians to use in developmental projects in their constituencies. It is not my responsibility to finance any MP'spersonal financial responsibility. I live within my means and if I go to any funeral or birthday party, I donate what Ifeel comfortable with not what others expect me to pay and these MP's should learn to do the same.

These stupid MP's should be bold to tell their constituents who come begging for money that they are not cash cows but if they are idiots who want to continue bribing voters to keep voting for them to be in Parliament, then they should come out with that money from their own pockets.

These MP's earn about ten timeswhat an average Ghanaian worker earns not counting the pegs that come with their position, free housing, cars, free petrol, servants and free medical care and they are still demanding from poor workers to fund their personal expenses?

If I promise to reward my child if he or she does something and the time comes for me to pay up, I don't seek constitutional fund to satisfy my obligation.

What is wrong with these pampered idiots in Parliament calling themselves honourables who continue to do dishonourable things by stealing from Peter to pay Paul? Are Ghanaians even aware such a stupid proposal is pending in Parliament?

Creating another fund for Parliamentarians to dig their hands into? What is going to be the mode and medium of disbursement? An mp will just put in a request for GHc 4000 for a month for funeral expenses? Are you kidding me?

The problem with our Politicians is that, we don't know how to cut our coat according to our size and that goes with the way we even do our national budget. If there is a shortfall, instead of the government cutting expenses and living within its means, they resort to the easiest problem solvng, enacting new laws to increase taxes which ends up costing businessmen to lay off workers or close the business down. When are our Politicians going to learn, HABA?

Even if this so called constitutional fund, why the name constitutional fund? To hide this daytime robbery by clothing it in legitimate colors. If you have an akpeteshie budget, you should not have taste for crown Royale but unfortunately Ghanaians continue to have a taste for champagne with akpeteshie budget, sad, really sad indeed.

Justice Sarpong

(CARDINAL of TRUTH)