The Leadership of the Seventh Parliament in the Fourth Republic is pushing for the establishment of a pension scheme for current and former Members of Parliament.

The move, according to Leadership will address the welfare challenges of former MPs.

Paying tribute to two late former MPs; Norbert Awullay and Samuel Nkrumah Gyimah, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said that the living conditions of some former members of the House are humiliating.

He, therefore, said it will be prudent if a pension scheme is established to protect persons who for a period in their lives served the State and their constituents.

“I want to believe that the next Parliament after this one will be able to ignite this discussion in order for us to take care of those of us who exit this House.

“So Mr Speaker, I feel this should be a wake-up call because we are having too many transitions soon after Members exit.

Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak on his part said, Parliament as an institution must walk the talk by establishing such a scheme to take care of former colleagues and their spouses.

He noted that the livelihoods of former MPs show the treatment they extend to each other after they finally exit.

“When you see former colleagues what comes to mind is “they were once like me, and one day I will be like them” and you look at their state you ask yourself again ‘when tomorrow comes and I become like them, do I want to look like what I am seeing?

“So Mr. Speaker, the best we can do is for those of us in the House today is to put the necessary measures in place to ensure that the plight of our former colleagues do not continue to be what it is because definitely, someday, we will become former Members of Parliament,” he stated.

Mr Mubarak then commended the Speaker, Prof Mike Oquaye for extending Parliament’s health facility to former colleagues and their spouses.