Ghanaians have been unfair to 1st and 2nd ladies - Prof. Agyeman-Duah

According to him, critics of the spouses of the President and Vice President haven’t been circumspect in their assertions.

He said Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia have really worked well since 2017 and deserve their salaries.

“If you come to the present First Lady, Madam Rebecca Akufo-Addo, certainly we can quickly recall her work in Kumasi putting up a maternity building in a matter of a year and many other tremendous things that she is doing,” he cited on TV3 in an interview on Midday Live on Tuesday, July 13.

Prof Agyeman-Duah noted the issue should have been how were they going to be paid instead of the turn the matter took.

“I think these ladies under pressure have decided to give up these allowances.”

He stressed: “In a way, I think, we have not been very fair to the First Ladies in terms of going beyond the framework of the criticism, which is the legality of placing them under Article 71, for others to come for some kind of vicious attacks on these innocent ladies.

“That in itself is not good. I think we would have to be a little bit reflective when it comes to these critical issues.”

The first and second ladies have declined the offer for salaries to be paid to them and have committed to return all allowances paid to them since 2017.

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.