Double Salary Payment: "When You’re Super-incompetent, This Is The Result!" - Allotey Jabs Gov't

Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has questioned the involvement of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police regarding an alleged double salary payment to some 25 members of the Minority in Parliament.

A publication by Daily Guide newspaper on Wednesday, April 11th, disclosed that some Minority members were paid double salaries when the NDC was in power.

Following the revelations, the CID is said to have issued invites to the named culprits to ascertain the truth.

Addressing the issue on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo, Allotey Jacobs wondered how the CID could interfere with Parliamentary matters when Parliament has a Privileges Committee that can deal with any act of misconduct by members of the House.

To him, the issue should have been referred to the Committee or the Parliamentary Service Board for investigations, though he strongly believes there is no merit in the story, and that no Minority member took double salary under the Mahama regime.

He explained that what has widely been known as a double salary payment is akin to the ex-gratia saying the Akufo-Addo administration is only proving to be super-incompetent.

When you’re super-incompetent, this is the result! It’s their super-incompetence that’s making them not see the dynamics in this thing that when a government is done with its work, there’s something called ex-gratia…Nobody, no 25 Ministers have received double pay. It is not true…and let us stop this kind of politics and don’t undermine the Parliamentary Service Board”.

The NDC stalwart also questioned the role of the CID advising them not to be used as stooges by politicians.

Why are we using the Police Service as a wing of our government, or of our party? Why? Why should that happen? When you have a Parliamentary Service Board, then the CID wades into an investigation; why should that happen? Are we promoting our governance process…The CID should not allow themselves to be used by Politicians…They’re professional men supposed to help advance our democracy”.

Meanwhile, the Minority has given strong indication that it will sue the CID and Daily Guide for demeaning their integrity and misinforming the public that its members were paid double salaries.

We must state for the records, contrary to the claims by DAILY GUIDE, no former appointee has offered to make refunds of double salaries. We challenge them to adduce evidence of their claims,” the minority members noted.