Tamale North Member of Parliament, Alhassan Suhuyini has called on stakeholders to advocate against ex-gratia payment.

But, he says, the people must first of all, insist that Presidents, when they are sworn in, the first thing they do is to set up a committee that will determine the salaries of ministers, parliamentarians and judges.

He was reacting to the decision by the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, who has refunded the ex-gratia paid him for serving on the Council of State between 2017 and 2020.

Suhuyini who said he respects the decision of Togbe Afede said on the New Day show on TV3 with Johnnie Hughes Wednesday that “If we want, and I believe we should, advocate against ex-gratia, we must insist that Presidents when they are sworn in, the first thing they do is to set up a committee that will determine the salaries of ministers, parliamentarians and judges. That is the way to get away or to stop paying ex-gratia.

“So I go into Parliament and I know that as I am taking the oath my salary is 1200 or 25,00. So at the end of my four years government doesn’t owe me anything , I walk away. Let us do it and we will save ourselves all this trouble and misunderstanding.”

Togbe Afede XIV had served on the Council in his capacity as the President of the National House of Chiefs.

He insisted that the payment was not to trap him, contrary to speculations after he made a refund to the Controller and Accountant General.

“I did not think the payment was made to trap me, as is being speculated,” he stated in a press release on Monday, June 6.

“I believe it was it was paid to everybody who served on the Council of State.

“However, I thought that extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work, for which I received a monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges. So, I was very uncomfortable with it.”

He stressed that he had written to the Council of State to state his reasons for rejecting the ex-gratia.