He argues that such a venture is unconstitutional and the apex court should dismiss it as such.
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Presidential Spouses Allowances: Abronye DC challenges decision at Supreme Court
Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Bono Region, has filed a suit at the Supreme Court challenging the decision to pay spouses of heads of state.
Abronye DC
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The vociferous NPP Chairman in his suit said the Committee set up to propose emoluments for public service holders overstepped its boundaries by proposing payments for spouses of heads of state.
In a report by Accra based Citi FM, Abronye DC filed at the Supreme Court on Thursday, July 8, 2021, he prayed the apex court to rule that the Presidential Spouse Emoluments is null and void.
Abronye DC insisted that the First and the Second Ladies do not fall under Article 71 officer holders, hence the committee set up to determine salaries and gratuities for Article 71 office holders erred in its recommendation.
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“A declaration that the approval by Parliament to pay salaries to the First and Second Ladies is inconsistent with Article 71 clauses 1 and 2 of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana and consequently be declared null, void, and unenforceable.”
“A declaration that, per article 71 (1) and (2), the position of the First and Second Ladies of Ghana do not fall under the category of public officeholders.”
Mr. Abronye also contended that the Emoluments Committee exceeded its mandate by making recommendations for emoluments for presidential spouses and that the committee was only limited to determining “salaries and other benefits and privileges of only public officeholders.”
Reports of the payments have caught the ire of a lot of Ghanaians especially those on social media.
The National Youth Wing of the opposition National Democratic Congress has also served notice to challenge the payments at the Supreme Court.
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The NDC youth wing in a press statement signed by its National Youth Organiser, George Opare Addo, said it won’t allow the recommendation to be implemented.
According to the NDC youth, the move is an attack on the 1992 Constitution, hence their position.
Kwame Baffoe, aka Abronye DC
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“It is instructive to point out that we find the attempt to institutionalize the payment of salaries to the spouses of the President and the Vice President as an attack on the constitution of the country.”
“The provisions of article 71 of the 1992 Constitution is elaborate and unambiguous by listing the public officials bound to draw their salaries from the Consolidated Fund.”
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The NDC youth argue that the Emolument Committee does not have the powers to make the said recommendation, hence must not be adhered to.
“Indeed, the Constitution never clothed the Emolument Committee any power to introduce any category of persons to benefit from the Consolidated fund without due regard to article 108.”
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