Forty former Members of Parliament (MPs) have sued the government for GH₵233,495 each, being their accrued monthly pension pay since January 2009.
The amount being claimed works out to GH₵13,735 per person per month, but interest accrued during the 85 months raises the amount to GH₵233,495 each.
With the suit filed at the Labour Division of the Accra High Court, the 40 former MPs are collectively demanding GH¢9,339,800 from the government.
The basis of the legal action by the 40 former MPs is the Chinnery-Hesse Presidential Emoluments Committee (PEC) which provides that parliamentarians who were 50 years and above and exited Parliament, having served two full terms, should be paid some sums of money as pension benefits.
Some notable names among the 40 former MPs who initiated the legal action are Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Dr Kwame Ampofo, Mr Kwamina Bartels, Mr Freddie Blay, Mr Kenneth Dzirasah, Ms Christine Churcher, Mr Isaac E. Edumadze and Mr Nkrabea Effah-Darteh.
Joined to the suit as defendants are the Attorney-General (A-G) and the Minister of Finance.
Distress
The plaintiffs, in their statement of claim, averred that since 2011 they had been negotiating with the government, through the Ministry of Finance and the leadership of Parliament, for aspects of the Chinnery-Hesse Committee report in relation to their pensions to be paid, but the negotiations, they claimed, had proved futile.
“Several attempts, demands or requests made on the government to have these pension benefits paid to the plaintiffs have proved futile,” they said.
According to the plaintiffs, based on a letter dated June 25, 2015, the A-G directed the Ministry of Finance to make payments to them but the ministry had “refused, neglected or failed to pay the said money to the plaintiffs”.
The action of the ministry, the former MPs added, continued to cause them distress, as most of them remained unemployed because of old age and were, therefore, unable to sustain their families.
They said being advanced in years had also come with various medical conditions, the management of which required daily doses of expensive medication.
The former MPs said on November 24, 2015, a notice to institute civil action was served on the state, but the A-G, apart from a letter dated December 22, 2015 which acknowledged its receipt of the suit, had failed to respond.
The disgruntled former legislators claimed that the conduct of the government showed that unless compelled by the courts, it was not ready to pay the pensions duly owed them.
Find below the list of former MPs
1. David Apasera
2. Dr. Charles Brempong-Yeboah
3. Francis Aggrey Agbotese
4. Nii Adu Daku Mante
5. Kwame Adusa Okerchiri
6. Godfred Otchere
7. Moses Dani Baah
8. K. Brandford Adu
9. Victor Okuley Nortey
10. Yaw Barimah
11. Kwadwo Darko Adjei
12. Samuel Gyamfi Adu
13. Joseph Tsatsu Agbenu
14. Eugene Atta Agyapong
15. Abraham Osei Aidoo
16. Dr. Kwame Ampofo
17. Dr. Matthew Kwaku Antwi
18. Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku
19. Yaw Mensah Asiedu
20. Angela Baiden-Amissah
21. Kwamena Bartels
22. Freddie W.A. Blay
23. Sampson Boafo
24. Chrisitine Churcher
25. Kenneth Dzirasah
26. Isaac E. Edumadze
27. Nkrabea Effah Dartey
28. Kwame Owusu Frimpong
29. Kitson Akomeng Kissi
30. Joseph Henry Mensah
31. Mrs Anna Nyamakye
32. Albert Kwaku Obbin
33. Yaw Osafo-Maafo
34. Francis Mensah Osafo
35. Akwasi Adjei Osei
36. K. Owusu Adjapong
37. K. Opoku Adusei
38. Quarm Sam
39. Alex Sofo Seidu
40. Alhassa Malik Yakubu
Source: Graphic.com.gh
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Please PeaceFM kindly remove the comment by @John Nkumh. It will be a total disgrace to this website if they can not edit this foul language. Former MP's why can't you sacrifice a bit for the nation and settle it amicably behind the scene? But rather suing your own Government just to milk the nation?. Why can't you write a petition or negotiate with your own President to make amends? Senior minister should have known better.
Woyome style lo.tting Ghana coffers
Woyome style of ***barred word*** Ghana coffers.
this is shameful they should just forget about this money .the nation is already poor, these poor are in my opinion are heartless. how can we build the nation if all these monies are been taking out . asem ooo Lord have mercy
I am not NDC okay. I am a tax payer okay. This dogs want money, why they have to sue the government? The government is NPP government lead by CIA Asante Akyem Monkey, so they have to go there and ask for their money but now this ***barred word*** are forcing their own government to get a lawyer to go and defend who? Ghana? Now, everything in Ghana belong to this old dogs so they should use it okay. However, do not tag me with NDC.
Did you guy actually read the article before making all those unnecessary comments. They claim the former A-G directed the then Mahama led administration to make payment because it was due them but they refused because of power. Also take notice that it has an interest component which is accruing over time. This new government must pay to avoid future problems.
Is Ken Dzirasah NPP or NDC?!? This simply means that JEA/JDM decided not to pay these ex-MPs as soon as they assumed power and rather squandered the cash on frivolous things! If ndc had won this election these men and women will never see their pensions while JDM will be sitting in Dubai sipping cocktails! You would know all of this if you could read and understand....but Ndc people don't read!
Why suing your own government?. Go to Akufo Addo tell him to give you, your money or all the money in Ghana. This old f00000ls are the cause of Ghana problem. The only thing this old dog f00000ls think about is money. When this f0000ls die they should Burien them with their f0000ls stolen money ***barred word***.
NO NO NO NPP THIS IS NOT FAIR AT ALL. MOTHER GHANA CAN NOT PAY THESE KIND OF MONEY, WE DID NOT HAVE MONEY IN OUR PURSE THAT SAYS THE SAME NPP
And you waited till now. Yoo, you said you met an empty purse and you can't even wait to fill it before depleting it. Go ahead and take all. This is the love you have for the nation. mmmm b)e