Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong has observed that in efforts to meet the financial needs and resources of our political leaders, it must be done in a manner that pays equal attention to the needs of the masses in order to maintain public trust and balance. Whiles agreeing that the state must provide the resources and cater for the welfare of our political leaders in order to serve well, it must be done taking into consideration the welfare of the masses including the public sector workers who also need same resources to be able to function accordingly. “Our political leaders must be resourced to be in a better position to serve us well, however we must note that there are state institutions that must equally be resourced to serve us well too and communities which are in dire need of basic amenities to survive and we must pay equal attention in order not to erode public trust” he said. Speaking in an interview with the GNA on the provisions and recommendations of the emoluments committee of the Article 71 office holders, he said “the tendency where when it is about the article 71 office holders or the political leadership we seem to have the resources to provide their needs but when it’s for the public sector we portray that the state cannot afford is eroding public trust and it’s dangerous for our democracy” He cited for instance the 28-million-dollar loan for the Members of Parliament and that of the Members of Council of State to procure vehicles which has generated some public outcry as an example and pointed that for the state to absorb 60 percent of that loan whiles the public sector institutions were crying for resources to enhance their work output was confusing in the eyes of the ordinary Ghanaian. According to him, in spite of the fact that the loan for the Members of Parliament and other emoluments for the political class were constitutional, it creates an impression of superiority and inferiority class where the needs of a section of the population supersedes the other and described as dangerous for any democratic dispensation and must be addressed. He said with the ravages of covid-19 pandemic on the global economy, we are in a very challenging moments and the masses including the public sector workers are ready to sacrifice to ensure that the economy was put on sound track and so government must therefore thread cautiously in dealing with the requirements of the political leaders so as not to breach this trust. Reverend Opuni-Frimpong who is a Presbyterian Minister, Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa (ACAA) pointed that on daily basis public institutions including hospitals and schools cry for basic facilities such as beds, water, basic medical equipment and many others in order to serve the needs of the public, to no avail. The ACAA is a network of individual Christian leaders both lay and ordained with varied professional backgrounds and not-for-profit organization concern about the current disconnect between the massive Christian presence and matters of public policy and sustainable development. “On daily basis we hear reports of children learning in dilapidated buildings nearing collapse, we hear shortage of beds in our health facilities as well as basic medical equipment to save lives of the ordinary Ghanaian, we hear public servants crying for better working conditions and pay rise and the impression is that government is working at it, yet on the other side we see provisions involving huge sums of money being made and that is a signal which must be critically looked at to enhance trust between the people and the political class” he submitted. Rev Opuni-Frimpong who is also a past General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana observed that such signal was pushing Ghanaians to that point where there would be no trust between the people and the political class who were voted for by the very people and urged government to sit up.
By Bertha Badu-Agyei
Ghana News Agency Koforidua
17 July 2021