Collins Adomako-Mensah, the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Afigya Kwabre North, has recounted the excitement experienced by first-time parliamentarians when they receive their initial salaries and various bonuses.
Speaking on a panel discussion on Wontumi TV on September 14, 2023, Adomako-Mensah used his own experience when he received his first paycheck within the first week of entering Parliament.
He revealed that new MPs are provided with rent allowances and other perks to ensure their comfort in the capital, Accra. This initial financial gesture, according to him, makes newcomers like himself feel that Parliament is a welcoming place.
He shared that he and his colleague, Akwasi Konadu, MP for Manhyia North, celebrated their newfound financial stability and expressed their intention to stay in Parliament for the long haul due to the apparent allure of the workplace.
However, he added that his perspective shifted when he received a piece of advice from a senior colleague, Benito Owusu-Bio, the MP for Atwima Nwabiagya North Constituency.
According to Adomako-Mensah, it was during an elevator ride with Owusu-Bio that he received another financial alert and couldn't help but smile.
Curious, Owusu-Bio inquired about the source of Adomako-Mensah's joy, to which he responded that he had received another payment.
It was then that that Owusu-Bio advised him to carefully calculate both his income and expenses during his tenure in Parliament.
The senior MP suggested that Adomako-Mensah return for a discussion in four years, emphasizing the importance of responsible financial management.
Adomako-Mensah added that being a parliamentarian comes with prestige, noting that it comes with a diplomatic passport that simplifies visa processes and offers certain privileges, especially during official international travels.
The MP tells his story:
“So let me tell you a story, when I first entered Parliament, within the first week, they gave us a rent allowance because they saw that the new ones that re not resident in Accra needed your rent allowance and other allowance just for you to feel comfortable.
"Imagine a young boy who has gotten a text message and after receiving the text, I was like this place will be nice that is why everybody is coming here, then I received another alert, I was with a colleague by then.
“He came to my office and he was like, as for this place we will keep long here because the place will be sweet. Then they gave us money to go and buy a car, so I was like this place is good …
"I met this MP Benito, I was in the same lift with him when I got an alert, so after checking, he realized that I was smiling, and he was like 'Collins, I hope it has come (money)' and I replied yes.
“He then advised me that I should calculate all the monies that I would be getting and also calculate all the expenses that I would make and come back to him in the next four years, I should come back for discussion, so it was him who advised me that there is no need to buy a very big car.
“But the truth of the matter is that, it (parliament) comes with a certain prestige which nobody can take away, you hold a diplomatic passport when you get to the airport everybody gives you courtesy and when you want a visa it is a very simple process, protocol department will work on it, you travel on parliamentary duties, the privilege, we have to accept that there is something exciting about it.”
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