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Lecturer in political science at the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, Prof. Yaw Gyampo argued that the president and his vice-president are well enough paid to support their wives.
He said the policy, if not reversed, will open the floodgates to deepen more nepotistic appointments in the offices of the first lady and second lady.
As Modernghana News reported earlier this week, Parliament approved the recommendations of the committee headed by Professor Yaa Ntiamoah-Baidu on the emoluments of section 71 officials for whom the wives of President Akufo Addo and Deputy President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will receive the same monthly salaries as Cabinet of Ministers.
Indignant at the news, public outcry over the past 48 hours has painted the image that some Ghanaians are against the decision.
After doing his own checks on this, Professor Gyampo, who is against paying the salaries of the incumbent president’s wives and his deputy, explained why that wouldn’t be ideal.
According to him, the husbands of the first and second ladies are well enough paid to be able to support themselves.
“Whatever role they may play in supporting their husbands, I personally don’t think such roles they play should justify salaries. Their husbands are paid well enough to be able to support themselves, ”a statement from speaker UG read.
According to him, in the absence of a law to support the decision to pay First and Second Ladies, it could lead to acts of nepotism in their respective offices if they received salaries on a monthly basis.
“The current situation, not backed by the law, would also open the floodgates to deepen more nepotistic appointments to the offices of the first and second ladies in a way that may not bode well for the fight against corruption,” added the press release from Professor Gyampo.
As a country, Prof Gyampo insists that we need to rethink our priorities and free the Consolidated Fund from politically luxurious and frivolous spending to ensure that President Akufo Addo has sufficient resources to embark on projects that benefit people. ordinary needs of Ghanaians. a beautiful heritage.
Read the full statement from the political science lecturer below:
Read Professor Ransford Gyampo’s full article below:
1. There may be nothing wrong with crafting a convention to pay allowances to the wives of former heads of state, who may be deceased. I’m told that Rawlings actually [started] this gesture and through his sense of magnanimity and compassion, Kufuor continued, and it was extended to include the wives of the incumbent presidents and the Veeps. The payment of these allowances over the years has not been supported by any specific law but has been treated as a benefit of the constituents themselves.
2. The current Ntiamoah Baidu Commission, I was told, made only one recommendation to formalize the already existing arrangement, and this was approved by Parliament. So it may not be entirely correct to suggest that President Akufo-Addo personally decided that the first and second ladies should be paid as ministers.
3. Those who support this whole idea think it makes sense to give allowances or wages to the wives of those high officials who actually work and support what their husbands are doing. It has been argued that some foundations run poor support foundations and others represent their husbands in public functions, etc. Considering the supposed role they play, some think it shouldn’t be a big deal for first and second ladies to receive SALARIES, not allowances.
4. But in my opinion, Rawlings-Kufuor’s gesture of paying ALLOWANCES to the wives of former heads of state, who may have died out of compassion, should be distinguished from the payment of WAGES to the wives of presidents and Veeps in exercise. . This is because the services of the first and second ladies are only ceremonial. These are dysfunctional institutions that are not provided for in our Statutes.
5. Whatever role they may play in supporting their husbands, I personally don’t think that such roles they play should justify salaries. Their husbands are paid well enough to be able to support themselves. The current situation, unsupported by law, would also open the floodgates to deepen more nepotistic appointments to first and second ladies’ offices in a way that may not bode well for the fight against corruption.
6. But if as a nation we think we have come to that time in our governance process where such figures are to be paid salaries, the decision should not be based on such a porous recommendation and approval process. illegal parliamentary. Rather, we need to do the following:
A. Agree on the exact and specific roles to be played by the first and second ladies in shaping the conduct of governance in the body politic of Ghana.
B. Agree on the number of employees they are allowed to work with and their specific job descriptions.
C. Determine what other logistics and incentives they may be entitled to and budget for these
D. Modify the list of office holders in section 71 to include first and second ladies
E. Empower them to work as civil servants as well
Until that is done, we must prioritize and stop the pressure we continue to put on the Consolidated Fund.
7. Regarding the loans given to MPs to buy new vehicles, this is sad and only characterizes our characteristic of the extravagant poor. Some public officials buy second-hand vehicles that are ten years old and still boast about the “novelty” of these vehicles which they call “new second-hand”. Other public officials keep their official vehicles for four years and then buy them for a pittance.
8. If loans can really be obtained for the unnecessary and unnecessary purpose of purchasing new vehicles, such facility should be given to Korlebu University Hospital to procure the necessary health infrastructure and bill patients who use these. facilities to repay the loan. The fact that the loan can be repaid by MPs should not be the focus of any discussion. Because, as servants of voters, MPs cannot continue to live in luxury while hospitals for their constituents remain deadly traps. If there is a loan facility, it should only be granted to new MPs.
9. We need to rethink our priorities as a country. That the Consolidated Fund be freed from politically luxurious and frivolous spending and that there be sufficient resources for President Akufo Addo to use them to undertake projects that benefit the ordinary needs of Ghanaians and leave a good legacy.
Yaw Gympo
A31, Prabiw
PAV Ansah Street
Salt pond
Suro Nipa House
Kasease
Larteh-Akuapim
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