Parliament Paying Lazy Workers – Speaker Bagbin

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has disclosed there is a considerable number of workers at Parliament who get paid at the end of every month but they literally do no work at all.

He has directed that such category of workers must either stop receiving salaries or be given job schedules with clear targets to meet.

Mr. Speaker explained that the possibility of receiving salaries without actually working has become possible due to a poor or complete lack of monitoring and supervision by managers of various units in Parliament.

The Speaker has therefore tasked the newly constituted Parliamentary Service Board to immediately agree on a set of work ethics for the parliamentary staff.

Bagbin said while addressing the issue of lazy workers who earn free salaries, all hard working staff members who have legitimate concerns about promotion and career progress should also have their concerns addressed to bring out their maximum output and productivity.

The Speaker is determined to initiate reforms that would make Ghana’s Parliament a module parliament in Africa and he has urged the Parliamentary Service Board to ensure this dream sees the light of day.

““This board must work collectively to improve upon the work ethics of staff. It is a fact that some staff members are hardworking and giving off their best for Parliament but it is equally true that there is a significant number whose contribution is nothing to write home about….Indeed there are some who basically have no schedule and virtually do nothing yet are paid by the state every month, this I think must change if we want to be a module parliament in Africa,” Bagbin said.

Mr. Speaker expressed concerns about human resource and personnel in Parliament: “Our Parliament continues to receive high ratings internationally, however, its rating in the area of oversight is unsurprisingly low and I say this because we lack the needed personnel and resources to carry this role effectively,

“That is why I called the Finance Minister and the Secretary to the President to complain about the budgetary cut and this must be fixed.”

He continued: “The current location of Parliament belongs to controller of households’ under the office of the chief of staff and as a house we have no control of movements of people to and from parliament and this is a great security risk.

“We are in discussion with the president to cede the enclave to parliament and I can say the president has given his commitment to this request,” Bagbin added.

The Parliamentary Service is governed by the Parliamentary Service Board, which has the Speaker as Chairman and he has ultimate responsibility for the Service.

The Board has the responsibility of promoting the welfare of Members of Parliament and Staff of the Service.  It also has general control of the management of the Service in matters of policy.

Member ship of the current include the Speaker, the two Deputy Speakers, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia; former Majority Leader, Abraham Osei Aidoo; Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu and the Clerk of Parliament.