Culture Of Silence: Nobody Knows How Much Ex-Gratia Paid MPs In 2020 Prof. Kwaku Azar

US-based Ghanaian Law Professor, Kwaku Asare, has countered members and friends of the Akufo-Addo government who have claimed that there is no culture of silence in Ghana, pointing out the culture even pervades Parliament.

In a write-up, he points out that as part of the culture of silence, Parliament has kept away details of ex-gratia that was proposed for MPs in 2020 and taken measures to ensure that any possible conversation around the issue is shut out.

“How much ex gratia was proposed and accepted in 2020? Nobody knows because the Ntiamoah Baidu emolument report is a closely guarded national security document that the public is not allowed to see or can talk about,” Kwaku Asare asked.

 “We do not talk about quadrennial car loans. We cannot even see the emolument report. But some say there is no culture of silence,” he wrote.

The write-up which was predicated on reports that the Gambian Supreme Court has ruled against that country’s MPs taking car loans, said while the Gambian people have been given an important victory by their Supreme Court, in Ghana, a raging culture of silence has meant that even ex-gratia that Parliament claws for its members cannot be scrutinized.

“…I do vividly remember CHRAJ declaring car loans as a raid on the consolidated funds and ordering MPs to repay these loans that were paid off by Parliament.

 “Not only did Parliament rubbish the report and the petitioner, but the loan that started from $15,000 has now grown to $50,000 or even higher. In fact, nobody even talks about the loans anymore. It is now par for the course,” he wrote.