The Speaker of Parliament is hurt by the squalor and deprivation some former Members of Parliament live in despite ‘once sacrificing for the nation’.

In his words “we all know that the lives of former members are not as we want to see it. In fact, it pains me personally to see how it looks like after we have served.”

He added “people think these are people who are making money in this country.

“It is painful. People don’t have money here,” he lamented

According to Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, the situation calls for the implementation of a welfare scheme to support MPs on retirement. 

“House Committee we task you,” he said while calling on the “two whips, Minority and Majority, to examine welfare matters very seriously.”

The comments of Prof. Ocquaye comes as MPs paid tribute to a former colleague, the late Dr. Kwabena Adjei who is set to be buried Saturday.

The late NDC Chairman also doubled as Minister of State and Majority leader of Parliament during the Presidency of Jerry John Rawlings.

Dr  Adjei is reported to have passed on two months ago after a protracted illness. 

Commenting on the poor state in which the former NDC Chairman was before his death, Member of Parliament for Pusiga, Ayamba Laadi Ayii said “at a point, he needed our support when he was alive and shuffling between his home to the hospital.”

She decried the poor state of former MPs, “People come to this House as legislators and virtually leave with nothing.”

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, supported her colleague.

He wants parliament to immortalize the memories of departing colleagues by christening some buildings of the House after them.

Ghana's political class and some select public servants received a 10% pay rise as recommended by the Presidential Committee on Emoluments in 2016.

The Committee's report proposed an annual increase of 10% from 2013 to 2017 for the political class listed under Article 71 of the 1992 constitution.

The report, signed by Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh said the Speaker of Parliament, the head of the Legislative arm of government who is paid GH¢16,174 will be put on 17,791 cedis monthly salary.

The payments have been backdated to 2013 which was the last year a pay increase was made.