Minority Leader shocked by Yamson report

Minority Leader Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu and Mike Ocquaye, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Minority Leader Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has expressed shock over suggestions by the Ishmael Yamson Committee report that the Chinery-Hesse Committee report on emoluments was not approved by Parliament. Mr Mensah-Bonsu also dismissed claims by the IYC report that two “Final” reports were transmitted to Parliament to ratify. “If what I’ve been told is right that Parliament didn’t give approval of the report, I will be most surprised if that is the position,” he told Joy FM’s Sammy Darko. “Parliament indeed did give approval.” The Minority Leader who was speaking on phone from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, said he had, together with Majority Leader Alban Bagbin, appeared before the IYC and had “put it beyond reasonable doubt” that the report was received by the last Parliament and duly approved by the House. The IYC, appointed by President J.E.A. Mills to review the Hesse Committee report, said while there were two “Final” reports both purported to have been coming from the former president for parliamentary approval, there are no records indicating the House’s approval of any of the two. Mr Mensah-Bonsu also maintained that in the lead up to the closure of the last parliament, there were several “draft reports” which were submitted for consideration by the House. “The final one that came to us for approval was the one that was initialed by the secretary to the committee [CHC]. And there is only one report as far as I’m concerned that bears the initials of the secretary of that committee,” he stressed. The Minority Leader also reiterated his opposition to the president’s review of the report. He said it was wrong in the first place for the current administration to have called for a review of emoluments of ex-officials because: “These gratuities are dependent on the gratuities that should be received by the former president” and that, he said, can only be reviewed by the concurrent president. “It is not for this parliament to approve of it, just like it is not for this president to approve of the salaries and emoluments of the out-gone parliament. It will be a clear breech of the constitution,” he intimated. The Minority Leader is calling for further dialogue over the issue to ensure that the controversy is brought to a closure. Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana Here is a report filed by Joy FM’s Sammy Darko on the recommendations of the Ishmael Yamson Committee report. The Ishmael Yamson Committee report cuts the number of vehicles for the former president from six to four – two saloon and two cross-country vehicles with drivers who should be state employees. It said the vehicles must be fully maintained, fuelled and insured. However, replacement of these vehicles should be governed by policies pertaining within the public service. The report also said the state should provide and maintain a fully-furnished house with reasonable modern amenities befitting the status of a former president. This also goes against the recommendations of the Chinery Hesse Committee, which had suggested that the former president should have two retirement homes – one in Accra and one at a location of his choice in any part of the country. The IYC recommends that until an official house is provided for a former president living in his own house, should be entitled to housing allowance in addition to office accommodation, 24-hour security, domestic support services and free utility services covering water, electricity and telephone. The IYC also suggests that the foundation recommended by the Chinery-Hesse Committee for former president should not be funded with state funds but rather government must work to get alternative funding for the foundation. The Yamson committee also recommends that the presidents and other members of the executive must pay tax on all allowances and gratuities in accordance with the tax laws of the country. In addition the policy which allows public office holders to purchase their duty vehicles upon leaving office must be abolished. On Parliament, the committee recommends a review of the parliamentary service act to make the parliamentary service board an agency independent of parliament. Source:myjoyonline.com