Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has emphatically stated that the House neither discussed nor approve salaries and allowances for Presidential Spouses as being bandied about.
According to him, members of parliament were not even provided with a copy of the Prof. Ntiamoah Baidu committee's report to peruse.
Threw Down the Gauntlet
Speaking on Okay Fm's "Ade Akye Abia" programme, the NDC MP stressed that the committee's report did not even make it to the floor of parliament, let alone have members debate on it and approve the recommendations thereof.
"The Heavens can bear me witness I was a member of the seventh parliament and I did not see any committee's report so I don't even know where this claim of parliamentary approval is coming from because our standing orders is clear. Before the House approves something, members of parliament must have a copy and I can tell you authoritatively that no member of the house has a copy of the committee's report.
"I challenge anybody who claims otherwise to come out to dispute what i'm saying. Parliament is a house of records and that is why we should not be joking with certain things," he fumed.
The former deputy Education Minister in the erstwhile John Mahama regime, noted that the country must begin to act seriously and be truthful about some of these things.
Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee
The Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee, in a report dated 18th of June 2020, submitted its recommendations to President Akufo-Addo in fulfilment of the Article 71 provision of the 1992 Constitution which enjoins every sitting President, before the end of his four-year mandate, to set up a Committee to make recommendations on the emoluments for Article 71 officeholders.
As part of the five (5) member committee’s report, they recommended the payment of a salary equivalent to a Cabinet Minister who is a Member of Parliament (MP) to the First Lady while her husband is in office and the payment of a salary equivalent to 80% of the salary of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament (MP) if the spouse served one full term as President or 100% of the salary of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament (MP) if the spouse served two or more full terms as President.
Emoluments Backlash
When news of the report went viral last week, it came under intense criticisms from sections of the Ghanaian public, particularly from the opposition National Democratic Congress, who have kicked against the payment of salaries to the First and Second Ladies.
Due to the public backlash, First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Second Lady Samira Bawumia have refunded their allowances since 2017.
Watch Video Below
First & Second Ladies' Salaries Refund
Her Excellency Rebecca Akufo-Addo, in a statement dated 12th July 2021, "decided not to accept any monies that have been allocated to be paid to her pursuant to the recommendations of the Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Badu Committee, as approved by Parliament".
She cited the “extremely negative opinions” from critics which are seeking to portray her as a “self-serving and self-centred woman” as a reason for her refund.
In view of this, she "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 GH¢899,097.84."
The Second Lady, Samira Bawumia has also indicated she will refund a total amount of eight hundred and eighty-seven thousand, four hundred and eighty-two (GHc 887,482) she's received as allowances from January 2017 to March 2021.
The decision of the two leading ladies of the Republic to refund their allowances is motivated by a recent public outcry that has characterized the recommendation by the Presidential Committee on Emoluments for Article 71 office holders for the First and Second Ladies to be paid salaries.
Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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Dear Ablakwa , you are destroying your reputation , you are being too hypocritical and populist.
But approved car loans for mps
This politician (Ablakwa) who never worked before becoming a Deputy Minister because of insults on opposing politicians is back big time and in a very dangerous way. Ananse stories and he is doing a damage to our democracy. Media should start to ask him tough questions and don't let him off. My question is: Will Lordina Mahama refund her illegal allowances paid by her husband? Publish all allowances to first ladies since 1992 and let us see who is telling the truth.
so you still give this boy platform ei ghana any ***barred word*** can go to to parliament
Well, I come back again. Ablakwa is telling us the report was not discussed in parliament, right? Fair deal. In this case all members of the 7th WILL NOT TAKE ANY MONEY ( Back pay or ex-gratia) since the said documents that contains the money for parliamentarians is the same document that contains that of all the former current and past 1st ladies. We live to see if they will take any money. They think they are smart and also think we are in the 90s where people could not read for themselves. As I said, I blame the media.
My small advise to Hon Ablakwa is that there is no need to swear by any heavens in this context. As christians we are obliged to speak the truth during our conversations and not to be in the habit of swearing.
@Oheneba: you couldn’t have said it any better. If the report was not discussed in parliament, how come the report is in public view? I think the NDC chaps are at something. As to what that thing is; your guess is as good as mine.
He has said this watraaaa and the media has reported it. What saddens me is the kind of media we have in Ghana. I always say we are where we are as a country and the politicians taking us for a ride all because of the bad media we have. This media houses will not go down to dig and authenticate the truth or otherwise of this allegations. This politicians are allowed to say anything and go free. They politicians (POLITRICKSTERS) will have been careful with what they say if they knew the press will always verify whatever they say. BUT NO, THE MEDIA WILL MOVE TO A DIFFERENT STORY forgetting the lies or truth of the politician stays with the public. THE MEDIA IS THE WATCHDOG for the citizens but they reneged on this . I have a lot of things the politicians have been allowed to say which were never verified. CHALLENG ME AND I WILL LIST THEM