A formal response from the Office of the Clerk to Parliament has confirmed that the Speaker of Parliament and Members of Ghana’s 8th Parliament have received their full Ex-Gratia payments, even as concerns mount over the non-payment of similar statutory entitlements to other arms of government that served during the same period.
In a letter signed by the Clerk to Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Parliament confirmed that Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin and Members of the 8th Parliament, who served between 7 January 2021 and 7 January 2025, were paid their Ex-Gratia in two instalments, in May and July 2025. The confirmation was issued in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by a citizen, Mr Kofi Asare, seeking clarity on the determination, transmission and implementation of Article 71 payments.
The disclosure, however, has reignited public debate after checks indicated that office holders in the Executive arm of government, the Council of State and the Judiciary who served within the same constitutional period have not yet received their Ex-Gratia payments.
The disparity has raised questions about the sequencing and prioritisation of payments under the current administration, with critics arguing that constitutionally mandated entitlements should be implemented uniformly across all affected institutions.
RTI request triggers disclosure
The clarification followed a formal RTI request submitted to Parliament by Mr Asare on 7 October 2025, which was later followed by an application for review on 14 October 2025 after an initial response from Parliament dated 13 October 2025.
In his request, Mr Asare sought detailed information on the approval and implementation of Article 71 salaries and Ex-Gratia payments for Members of Parliament.
Specifically, the applicant requested information on when Parliament transmitted its determination of salaries to the President, whether the Ministry of Finance or the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) had confirmed implementation, whether the Speaker and MPs had received their payments and on what dates, and certified copies of the parliamentary resolution and related correspondence.
In a comprehensive reply dated 11 December 2025, the Clerk to Parliament addressed each of the four issues, shedding light on the internal processes that culminated in the payment of Ex-Gratia to Members of the 8th Parliament.
Transmission and implementation process
According to the Clerk, Parliament approved the determination of Article 71 salaries at a sitting held on 6 January 2025 and transmitted the decision to the President on the same day.
Mr Djietror explained that once Parliament completes its constitutional role of determining salaries on the recommendation of the relevant committee, implementation becomes the responsibility of the Executive.
Following transmission to the President, the determined salaries are communicated to the Ministry of Finance and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department for implementation. Parliament, he stressed, does not itself implement the salary determinations.
“The Parliamentary Service then compiles the required records for the Speaker and all Members of Parliament and engages with the Auditor-General and the CAGD,” the Clerk stated.
Once those records are audited and confirmed, the CAGD releases funds to Parliament for direct payment to the Speaker and MPs.
This explanation, according to the Clerk, reflects the constitutional separation of responsibilities between Parliament, which determines salaries under Article 71(2), and the Executive, which undertakes implementation through the Ministry of Finance and related state agencies.
Payments made in two instalments
On the question of whether payments had actually been made, Parliament confirmed that a White Paper was issued by the Executive, forming the basis for the release of funds.
Using that White Paper, payments were effected to Members of Parliament in two tranches.
The first instalment of the Ex-Gratia payments was made in May 2025, while the second instalment followed in July 2025.
The payments covered the full tenure of the 8th Parliament, from January 2021 to January 2025.
“With respect to your third request, kindly be informed that the Speaker and Members of Parliament received the first instalment of their approved salary payments (Ex-Gratia) in May 2025, and the second instalment in July 2025,” the Clerk’s letter stated.
Resolution and confidentiality
Addressing the request for certified copies of the parliamentary resolution, Mr Djietror explained that the sitting at which Parliament determined the Article 71 salaries was held behind closed doors, in accordance with the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Nevertheless, he confirmed that a copy of the resolution adopted at the end of that sitting, along with the accompanying letter transmitted to the Presidency, had been attached to the response, as requested by the applicant.
The closed nature of the sitting, while procedurally consistent with parliamentary rules, has often drawn public criticism in past Article 71 determinations, particularly given the sensitivity of remuneration matters involving political office holders.
Uneven implementation raises questions
While the Clerk’s letter settles the question of whether Members of Parliament have received their Ex-Gratia, it has simultaneously cast a spotlight on the status of payments to other Article 71 office holders who served during the same period.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate that former ministers, members of the Council of State and senior judicial officers have yet to receive their Ex-Gratia, despite Parliament’s confirmation that its own members have been fully paid.
The situation has prompted concerns about equity and consistency in the application of constitutional entitlements. Critics argue that Ex-Gratia payments, once approved and implemented through a White Paper, should be effected across all affected institutions within a reasonable timeframe to avoid perceptions of preferential treatment.
As pressure mounts for clarity, attention is now turning to the Ministry of Finance and the Presidency for explanations on when outstanding Ex-Gratia payments to other arms of government will be settled. For now, the RTI disclosure has provided rare documentary confirmation of payments to Parliament, while opening a broader national conversation on transparency, fairness and accountability in the implementation of Article 71 benefits.
