Move by government to establish a Trust Fund to cater for the wife and children of the late Major Maxwell Adam Mhama has been criticized and described as “insensitive” by the Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Protection Agency, Kofi Kapito.
Parliament on Tuesday witnessed the first reading of the Major Mahama Trust Fund Bill, 2017 in honour of the soldier who was gruesomely lynched by mob at Denkyira Obuasi in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region murdered in May.
The Bill was presented to Parliament by Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul.
But Kofi Kapito said the Bill in its current form is not national in form and nature, asking why the executive through the legislature, would want to pass a law that seeks to benefit “just an individual”, when it can be modified and passed with the objective of addressing a national issue.
He argued that “this is a fine opportunity for government to pass this law which will cater for all security personnel who are affected in one way or the order while in line of duty. But not to create a law for one individual, then what happens when there is a similar issue. This Bill is insensitive and must be looked at again”.
The Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul while presenting the Bill noted that the bill will ultimately become a law and the President will accent to it in order to get a trust fund established in Major Mahama’s name. However the CEO of Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) said “the Bill would have come as a great incentive to all security personnel who have daily, given their all to serve their country. We have a lot of Police personnel who lost their lives while on duty, what did we do to them or should we pass another law for any of them that suffers a mishap tomorrow on duty”.
On the portion of the bill that talks about providing job for the wife of Major Mahama, Kofi Kapito asked what will be done for the wives of numerous police and military who lose their husbands while serving the country.
“If we in this country will pass a law that will take care of one man, then I will stop my son from enlisting to serve this country, the law must benefit all. The name can remain Major Mahama Trust Fund Bill, 2017 but every serving security personnel must benefit in case of misfortune” he told the host of Onua Fm morning show Bright Kwesi Asempa.
Kofi Kapito posited that it seems the drafters of the Bill, have not done enough to consult all stakeholders before coming out.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament, Banda Abdallah explained that the Bill is at the consideration stage and will definitely be referred to the appropriate committee for more inputs, assuring that suggestions and comments from group of persons or individuals are welcomed.
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