At least 25 per cent of Ghana’s former members of parliament have died, the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, has revealed.
The demise of these former MPs has left some of the bereaved families in hard times, something that has prompted the current legislators to put in place measures to support those families and the surviving former MPs.
“Some two years ago, I had the privilege of hosting some of the former MPs in my office; the very first of the forth republican parliament, and I was surprised to know that well over 25 percent have passed on,” Mr Adjaho said on the floor of the House Wednesday.
He made the revelation while the House was paying tribute to the MP for Hohoe, Joseph Hayibor who died on October 29.
“Each year as I sit in my office, I keep on receiving communication from the bereaved families about former MPs,” Mr Doe Adjaho said and urged the current MPs to initiate moves to help those families.
He said: “I think that we need as a House, to see what we can do even if we need to start at a certain modest level even though we are getting to the end of this parliament the process can start now. It’s better late than never.”
Deputy Minority Leader Dominic Nitiwul described the situation as pathetic, noting it is sad to note that some former MPs are living under hard times.
He urged the House to as a matter of urgency, institute a committee to consider the possibility of enacting a law that would require the state to provide support for former MPs.
Mr Nitiwul said though MPs are given ex-gratia, “there is the need for us to make a provision in our statutory laws whereby having served the nation as a member of the august House, no one goes home to suffer”.
He suggested the establishment of businesses for former MPs to depend on.
Responding, the Speaker agreed with the submissions made by both the majority and minority side of the House, noting investment could be made in the future to support former MPs.
Mr Doe Adjaho also promised to continue engaging former MPs who are alive to find out how best Parliament can institute a kind of support system for them
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