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Opinions of Saturday, 6 April 2013

Columnist: Sarpong, Justice

MP's, "Have We Stolen Anybody’s Money?"

"It is very disheartening that on daily basis MPs are treated like thieves. Why? Have we stolen anybody’s money?" ---Kojo Adu-Asare, Former NDC MP from Adenta---

That is the classical definition of crass stupidity and it comes from the brains of the conehead dullard from Adenta, and this man was making laws for Ghana, no wonder our country is now like a Banana Republic with 'brainies' like that in Parliament.

"Government has released a total of GHS63.25 million to cover the ex-gratia of MPs who served in the four year term of the Mills administration from January 6, 2009 to January 6, 2013.Each of the 230 MPs will receive at least GHS276,000, a fact which has sparked outrage among ordinary Ghanaians angered striking teachers and other members of the labour front whose demands for the payment of outstanding emoluments have either been ignored or the payments spread over a three month period.According to a Daily Graphic report, MPs who retained their seats in the December 2012 elections received GHS276,000 each while those who lost their seats were paid GHS311,000 each. According to parliamentary sources, the amount paid to the MPs who were no longer in Parliament included a resettlement grant."

If this is not armed robbery through the might of a pen by thieves masquerading as Politicians, then I don't know what it is. These Politicians are courting trouble for themselves and they are so stupid and blinded by the money signs they don't even see it. They are so comfortable doing this with the knowledge that Ghanaians no longer want any Military intervention so they don't see any threat to their lives but everything has an end and this stealing cannot continue forever without the masses rising up and embarking on a civilian revolution that will make Rawlings 1979 and 1981 coups look like CHILD'S PLAY in terms of atrocities that the people will inflict on these thieves calling themselves Politicians.

These People are using fancy word ex-gratia to adumbrate and mezmerise Ghanaians as if they are entitled to this money by using the provision in the constitution to justify plain armed robbery.What is Ex-gratia? Ex-gratia is defined as a favour given gratuitously where no legal obligation exists. So in essence, ex-gratia is just like bonus we receive from our jobs if at the end of the year, the companies we work for are profitable. Even in most cases, the companies we work for might make huge profits at the end of the year, no bonuses are given to workers because we are not entitled to it or it is not obligatory on companies to give bonuses.

These fools have closed their hearts and ears to listen to the citizens they are supposed to protect and are just interested to line their pockets with our scarce resources and the only way these idiots called Politicians will learn is a popular uprising by Ghanaian civilians to march to Parliament and the Flagstaff houses and throw these fools out and institute a government by the people for the people and not this fake government by Politicians and for Politicians democratic rule going on in Ghana where the leaders are just interested in amassing wealth.

The problem is that, Ghanaians unlike Nigerians are timid and as much as most of us hate Military rule, it is getting to that point where people will embrace a 1979 like Military intervention for a short period and get rid of these thieves by sending them to meet their maker by lining these Politicians up at Teshie range and putting lead between their eyes, THIEVES.

The only way these fools will reform is a coup d'etat and as much as we don't want it, it will be the only way these thieves masquerading as Politicians will get the message. Prof. Oquaye is a disappointment."He insisted that being a legislator was a contract, not a long term job offer." NONSENSE, they were paid their salaries for four years with benefits and some of these fools have received this benefit five times since 1996. Bagbin has received this loot five times amounting to almost $350,000. How much can Ghanaian poor continue to stomach this nonsense without pushing these thieves into the sea? Sad thing is that, most of these people have been in Parliament and have not said a word if the usual YEI, YEI, YEI they are known to shout is not counted .

"OWUO SISI ANSO AMPA", these Politicians are not listening to advice and reform their ways and the only time they will get the message is when they are tied to the stakes with the Army ready to pump some hot lead into their old wrinkled bodies.

It is really sad these people are hiding behind the so called article 71 in the constitution to steal the country into HIPC status. Even if the constitution stipulates that members of the legislature and and the Cabinet should be given ex-gratia, does it mean these people should reward themselves every four years with amounts a Teacher can work for forty years and the whole forty years salary cannot equal? How can a poor country like Ghana give ex-gratia or a bonus of $155,000 to somebody for serving in Parliament for just four years? Even Politicians in USA do not receive any amount called ex-gratia for being Senators or House of Representative members.

There are few members in Ghana Parliament who have received the so called ex-gratia five times since 1996. Ghana is broke at the moment, that is what we are made to believe to such an extent that, people who have been flooded out of their homes in Tamale, Yendi, Gushiegu, Walewale in the North and Afadjato South District in the Volta region who are scrounging to make a living because NADMO, the National disaster Agency charged to help Ghanaians in emergency situations is out of money and materials after Mahama and his NDC cohorts depleted its inventory in vote buying spree before the elections in December 2012.

Ghanaian students are stranded in many places around the globe because the government has no money to pay their school fees.

NHIS card holders cannot access health care because health care facilities are not accepting their insurance cards due to government inability to pay service providers.

More than 30,000 Youth under the NYEP program are about to lose their minimum paid jobs because there is no money to pay them.

Ghana is facing many financial problems and in the middle of these hardships, the politicians are rubbing pepper in our wounds by writing themselves such ridiculous cheques as ex-gratia while children are dying in our hospitals for lack of medicines and our children are schooling under trees, what kind of human beings are Ghanaian Politicians they are so selfish they keep taking in the midst of hardships ordinary citizens are going through?

Since the news came out, three former members of Parliament have come out to insult Ghanaians by claiming they deserve the money with two of them being NPP members and another NDC member.

"Professor Mike Oquaye has strongly defended the payment of ex-gratia to parliamentarians at the end of their four year term. He insisted that being a legislator was a contract, not a long term job offer."

"However, speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday, Kojo Adu-Asare said the erroneous impression being created by the media that MPs have been paid a colossal amount sends wrong signals to the public that politicians are only out to make personal gains..The MP's don’t determine their ex-gratia, therefore, creating the impression that MPs are depleting the public purse is most unfortunate."It is very disheartening that on daily basis MPs are treated like thieves. Why? Have we stolen anybody’s money?" he quizzed."

"Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Asokwa, Kofi Jumah has said medical doctors and teachers cannot compare themselves with MPs because MPs are on a higher pedestal compared to the two professions."

Can you believe the three stooges? How long can the poor taxpayers take these insults from such morons without marching to Flagstaff and Parliament houses to teach these gaumless group a lesson of humility? Very soon these Politicians including the proxy President and his master Asiedu Nketiah will run away from their comfort abodes without even their sandals to avert the wrath of the proletariats in Ghana.

Justice Sarpong

(CARDINAL of TRUTH)