Parliament to approve ex-gratia for Article 71 office holders in the Executive

These include the President, Vice-President, Speaker of Parliament, Chief Justice and other Justices of the Supreme Court.

Also Members of Parliament (MPs), Ministers of State, political appointees and public servants are Article 71 office holders.

This follows the reconvening of the House on Monday, December 14, 2020, where the issue was discussed.

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President Akufo-Addo in June inaugurated a five-member Committee to make recommendations on the salaries, allowances and privileges for article 71 officeholders.

Although Parliament is yet to receive the Committee’s report, the House is bent on bringing finality to the matter

Speaker, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye said a determination on the matter must be made before Parliament finally dissolved.

“Again with accordance with the 1992 Constitution, this house will be required to consider the approval of the Executive component of Article 71 officer holders report before the dissolution of the House,” he said, as quoted by Citinewsroom.

Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus in Parliament has revealed plans to name the Speaker immediately after the House reconvenes.

The seventh Parliament has come to a close, with the eighth Parliament now set to be inaugurated.

Ahead of its inauguration, the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will constitute a majority in the House.

He explained that the party is confident of selecting the Speaker of Parliament based on the true collation of the results of the just-ended parliamentary elections.

“We are preparing to also have the first Deputy Speaker and we have a slate,” he told Accra-based Citi FM.

“When Parliament convenes, we will be presenting names for Speaker, for first Deputy Speaker and for the Chairmen of Committees. We will not accept this daylight robbery and that is why we are adorned in black today.”

President Akufo-Addo successfully secured a second term as President after garnering over six million votes in the December 7 polls.

The 76-year-old, who contested as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate, won the election after polling 51.30% of the total votes cast.

His main rival, Mahama of the opposition NDC also managed to poll 47.36% of the total votes cast.