Member of the Communication Team of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dela Edem says his boss, former President John Dramani Mahama should not be given the Bungalow No.3, Prestige Link, Cantonments and its adjoining facilities as his official retirement home.
According to him, it is wrong for former President Mahama to keep the Cantonments residence which is originally meant for the Vice President as his retirement home, whereas former President John Agyekum Kuffour was given nothing in his retirement despite the Chinery Hesse Committee’s recommendation to provide him with certain facilities for his retirement.
Speaking on Peace Fm’s The Platform evening political talk show, Dela Edem insisted that since some NDC stalwarts condemned the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey for buying the state bungalow after leaving office, it is that same manner the idea of President Mahama keeping the Cantonment residence must be condemned.
“ . . since former President Kuffour was given nothing (residential facility) as a retirement package, in that same manner, ex-President Mahama cannot keep the Cantonment residence as his official retirement home. He can only keep the residence as his retirement home if former President Kuffour will be given same for his retirement package,” he argued.
He however condemned the idea of giving state facilities as retirement packages for people who have served as public officers.
The NDC activist comment comes against the backdrop that the former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah during the transition period wrote to the transition team of the incoming Nana Addo’s led administration to give Bungalow No.3, Prestige Link, Cantonments, Accra and its adjoining facilities as his official retirement home.
The letter also requested to keep Bungalow No.6, 3rd Avenue, Ridge, Accra as office for former President John Dramani Mahama, despite the fact that many have said the Presidential Emoluments Committee report headed by Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh did not include the two residences as his retirement benefit.
According to the report, the outgoing President, while on retirement will receive benefits such as state-provided staff not exceeding four (4) and a furnished and up-to-date office and communication equipment and staff support consisting of a cook, steward and gardener.
Instead of going home with a fully furnished house in Accra and another location of his choice outside the capital, President Mahama will rather receive “40 percent of [his] salary to be paid monthly.”
This is a deviation from the Chinery-Hesse Committee Report (2001-2005) which said, former Presidents should receive “one fully furnished residence in the national capital and one out-of-capital residence at a location of the former President’s choice; all of which should not revert to the state in the event of the demise of the former President.” In the area of security, “the state will provide two security persons to be chosen by the former President from state security. Two vehicles for security.”
For transport, President Mahama will be given two vehicles, a chauffeur, maintained and comprehensively insured by the State and changed every four years for life.
For overseas official travel, the state will fully pay for all such trips with his spouse and two security persons.
The state will however, sponsor only two of such travels per year and those not exceeding two weeks in duration. President Mahama and his wife will also be entitled to free healthcare.
Other benefits include the payment of utilities at his residence.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com.gh
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for the first time Dela has spoken against his party. Good to see the Change we were asking for.
So today where are the EDIOTIC FULLS CALL THE GA YOUTH WHO EVICYED KUFFOUR !!!!!!!! ; YOU SEE HOW THE LAW OF KARMA WORKS :GOD IS GREAT !!!!!!!
Mahama is a greedyyy Bastarrrd He thinks Ghana is one of his fathers property so he can take whatever he wants to take.
Abaa ye de boo Takyi no ye de be bo Baah.JDM move ASAP
God bless mr Dela Edem for his nationalism without been propagandist
No scrupulous person would have the guts to make the kind of request we're hearing John Mahama is making. He appears to have no conscience or sense of shame. Because of your ineffably evil government, too many intelligent graduates,for example, endured the undignified condition of joblessness for years, unless they were willing to pay bribes for jobs. Too many businesses collapsed. Too many people died from all the complications of a really bad government. By contrast, you didn't face a society so unfair. You grew up in a society (made possible by more decent human beings) that had what it took to make you, even you, the John Mahama you are today. And upon all the misery you unleashed upon Ghanaians you are still able to make such demands, further pile your guilt of destroying innocent lives (although unintentionally,perhaps)? Are you still disillusioned about what your government represented? The blood of innocent Ghanaians whose lives were permanently altered negatively, is crying out against you before the Holy Judge, before whom you and all of us will appear one day
AKUFFO ADDO YETU WOFO A TIE. DONT SELL YOUR BIRTH RIGHT. YOU KNOW THAT STORY IN THE BIBLE. ESSAU SAID IT WAS NOTHING TO SELL HIS BIRTHRIGHT TO JACOB AND IT TOOK THE BLESSING OF GOD AWAY FROM HIM TO THE PERSON HE SOLD THAT BIRTHRIGHT, JACOB. TO LEAVE MAHAMA TO STAY IN THE HOUSE HE LIVED AS PRESIDENT WOULD MEAN LEAVING THE PRESIDENCY UNDER HIS SPIRITUAL SPELL. YOU WILL FAIL AND FALL TO HIS FEET. AND ALL THE ACCUSATION LEVELED AGAINST MAHAMA WILL COME BACK TO YOU. YOU WILL COMPETE WITH HIM AS WHO IS THE WORST PRESIDENT OF GHANA IN SPITE OF THE RICH HUMAN RESOURCES OF NPP. YOU ARE NOTED FOR BEING PRINCIPLED AND MANY GHANAIANS HAVE ALWAYS STOOD BY YOU BECAUSE OF THAT. YOUR TRUMP-CARD AS AKKUFO ADDO IS NOTHING BUT BEING PRINCIPLED.YOU HAVE NOTHING TO GIVE TO GHANA IF YOU LOOSE THAT. THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR TEST OF YOUR TRUE CHARACTER. IF YOU FAIL YOU ARE DOOMED FOR EVER. BE A MAN AKKUFO ADDO AND CALL A SPADE A SPADE. BEWARE OF WHERE THE TEMPTATION IS COMING FROM. DONT BE FOOOOOOOOL TO THINK THAT MAHAMA IS YOUR FRIEND. HE IS LIKE THE SNAKE WHO CUNNINGLY DECEIVED ADAM AND EVE TO FALL, JUST AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR LIFE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. THE APPROACH OF MAHAMA TO YOU IS OF NO DIFFERENCE. BE WISE AND SHINE YOUR EYES.MA WANI NNA HO PLEASE, BE SMART. I DONT THINK IT IS YOUR INTENTION TO RECEIVE A SIMILAR TREATMENT IF YOU LEAVE OFFICE SO WHAT DO YOU LOOSE AKKUFO ADDO IF YOU LISTEN TO GHANAIANS AND ACT RIGHTLY. WHY DO YOU TIE YOURSELF TO THIS CORRUPT LEGACY OF MAHAMA, WHICH GHANAINAS OVERWHELMINGLY DISAPPROVED. IT IS NEVER RIGHT FOR OUTDOING PRESIDENT TO ALLOCATE TO HIMSELF THE PRESIDENTIAL HOUSE WHICH HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO HIM BY THE STATE AS HIS HOME DURING HIS TENURE OF OFFICE. COULD HE HAVE LIVE IN THE HOUSE IF THE PERSON WHO LIVED THERE BEFORE HIM HAD ALLOCATED IT TO HIMSELF. AND WOULD HE AND HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE AGREED. JESUS SAID "DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE OTHERS TO DO TO YOU. PLEASE, AKKUFO ADDO, WE VOTED FOR YOU TO STOP MAHAMA CANKER AND NOT TO GIVE A BLESSING TO IT TO PERPETUATE IT. YETU WOFO TIE.
Prz Akufo Addo should not allow Mahama to own the residence the state provided him as a president. It is a bad presidence to set.
NO SELECTIVE JUSTICE. DO TO MAHAMA WHAT YOU DID TO KUFFUOR. MAHAMA AND NDCs WHO SUPPORT HIM MUST HAVE SHAME
Mahama didn't have the slightest idea that he won't be president in 2017. So he was dashing out stuff like Father Christmas...actually even Father Christmas would've been jealous! The man ant tell me that he doesn't have houses. Unless of course he wants t keeepnthis one and every other house will be given to his numerous baby mamas! Whatever the case, the man is greedy and selfish and wouldn't think twice of selling Ghana to the highest bidder just so that he can stay rich and comfortable!