Speaker of Parliament Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has reiterated his stance on ex-gratia payments to Article 71 officeholders, saying the system has outlived its purpose and should be abolished.
Speaking at a public forum in Kumasi to mark the 30th anniversary of the Fourth Republican Parliament, Bagbin noted that the original intention behind ex-gratia payments was to combat corruption, but this has not been achieved in practice.
According to him, the payments were meant to assure public servants and political officeholders that their needs would be taken care of after leaving office, encouraging them to prioritize the people’s interests over personal gain.
However, Bagbin acknowledged that the payments have not effectively curbed corruption and have become unnecessary.
He expressed his support for amending Article 71 of the Constitution to abolish ex-gratia payments, which he believes have become a relic of the past.
“I agree totally with anybody who comes to say that we should do away with Article 71 of the Constitution. It hasn’t served its purpose, there’s no use maintaining it,” Bagbin said.
