According to the founder of Danquah Institute, there’s nothing illegal about first and second ladies receiving salaries.
A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has waded into the controversial issue of paying spouses of heads of state.
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Former Executive Director, Danquah Institute
Recommended articles
He said the constitution of Ghana does not bar the spouses of the President and Vice President from receiving salaries.
In a post on social media, he wrote: “My take on the matter is short. The Constitution did not bar spouses of President and his Vice (in and out of office) from being compensated (allowance or pay).”
The first and second ladies have rejected the recommendation from an emoluments committee that they should be paid and have subsequently refunded all allowances the state has paid them since 2017.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mrs. Akufo-Addo served notice she is returning to the government some GHC899, 097.84 paid to her as allowances since 2017 after a public hue and cry over a decision to pay her and the second lady, Samira Bawumia, monthly salaries.
Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia
Pulse Ghana
In a statement signed by the Director of Communications at the Office of the First Lady on Monday, July 12, Madam Akufo-Addo noted that she did not request to be paid any allowance and that “She only received that which existed and attached to her status, albeit informally”.
“In view of this, the First Lady, in consultation with the President of the Republic, has decided to refund all monies paid to her as allowances from the date of the President’s assumption of office, i.e., from January 2017 to date, amounting to GHC899,097.84.
“The First Lady has also decided not to accept any monies that have been allocated to be paid to her pursuant to the recommendations of the Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee, as approved by Parliament,” the statement added.
