|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Member of Parliament for North Dayi in the Volta Region, George
Loh has denied claims that Ghanaian Parliamentarians demand financial
incentives before they appear at certain programs.
The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA),
Sule Brimah, this week accused MPs of making monetary demands before
they attend programs they are invited to.
However, according to Mr. Loh, the claims by the MFWA were unjustified
and were borne out of a lack of knowledge of the workings of Ghana's
legislature.
"I can say with authority that this is the joke of the century. I
don't know where this individual got his information from. It is
beginning to show clearly that most people do not understand how
parliament operates, do not understand what procedures we follow,
don't understand what guiding principles that we have as members of
parliament and I assure you that no member of parliament would ask for
any such envelope before they appear at any function," he said on
Eyewitness News on Thursday.
Mr. Loh argued that the purpose of any money that is given to
Parliamentarians by any event organizers is clearly stated before the
function and are not demanded by the MPs.
"There is an agreement between the leadership of Parliament and the
relevant organizations. When we get invited, whatever protocols go
with it, if MPs must get fuel coupons or money for fuel, it is clearly
stated," he said.
He added that if a Member of Parliament is invited to an 'unofficial
parliamentary programme,' the onus lies on the person who invited the
MP to provide fuel for his or her transportation to the function.
"Parliament has its own programs, officially mandated programs. When
we go for those programs the things that happen are different.
If a member of parliament is sitting somewhere and you are inviting
him or her to a program that is not an official parliamentary
programme on the Parliamentary calendar, you do not expect that that
person will fuel his or her car from Pusiga or Walewale or wherever to
Accra," he opined.
Credit: Citifmonline.com
