Peacefmonline.com can authoritatively confirm that former President John Mahama has written to President Nana Akufo-Addo withdrawing his earlier request to keep his current residence located at No.3 Prestige Link, Cantonments, Accra as part of his retirement package.
The former president personally wrote to the current President, Nana Akufo-Addo rescinding his initially expressed interest.
The letter, which has been sighted by Peacefmonline, is also copied the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Letter
Portions of the letter headlined "Official Residence And Office" indicated that the request is being withdrawn because it threatens the relationships between the current administration and the former government.
“It would appear that these requests threaten to mar the spirit of cooperation with which we as co-chairs of the joint transition team have managed the smooth transfer of power from my administration to yours. I believe that this controversy is absolutely not needed in these early days as the government settles into office," Mr Mahama wrote.
"I do recognise that these are facilities that are conventionally extended to presidents that leave office and I am also mindful of the approval by the Parliament of the republic of Ghana on Wednesday, January 4, 2017, at its 22nd sitting of the third meeting of the 4th session.
In the letter, the former president also accused some persons in government of creating the false impression that he requested to purchase the property.
“You would recall, Mr President that contrary to the erroneous impression created by some persons in government and the interpretation given to the former letter submitted on my behalf by Mr Julius Debrah, this was a follow-up to an agreement we had on my choice of accommodation and office. I had never requested to purchase the property; my request is, therefore, humbly withdrawn,” Mr Mahama added.
There has been a massive hue and cry over the decision by former President Mahama to appropriate the official residence as part of his end-of-service package.
Mr Mahama’s critics say his earlier quest to keep the property was unlawful.
The residence, bungalow No.3, situated at Prestige Link, Cantonments in Accra, has been designated as official accommodation for the country’s Vice-Presidents but was still inhabited by the former President becoming President of Ghana.
The residence has been the official house for sitting vice presidents.
Mr Mahama was supposed to vacate the property a day before the investiture of President Nana Akufo-Addo, per Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
A Presidential Emoluments committee Mahama formed before handing over, had recommended that the exiting president be paid 40% of his salary as rent allowance. But after Parliament accepted this recommendation, President John Mahama caused fresh changes in the recommendation which was later brought back to parliament.
Though the Akufo-Addo government has agreed to provide the ex-president a residential facility, it says it has not acceded to the request sent by the Former Chief of Staff of the Former President, Julius Debrah for Former President Mahama to keep his residence as President.
Leader of the new government’s side of the transition team, Yaw Osafo Marfo told journalists: "We have not approved of his request, and I want to repeat we have received the request and the requests are two – for him to be given his ex-gratia where he lives and also be given another property as his office".
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Mahama nearly played it fast on Ghanaians. Now please Mr. Ex president, join the queue. Government must ensure that Kufour gets his house first, then Late Atta Mills before you Mahama.
OHH .... YOU THINK WE DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE PLENTY MANSIONS IN GHANA. HE DOESN'T WANT GHANAIANS TO TALK ABOUT WHERE HE HAD THE MONEY TO PURCHASE ALL THOSE MANSIONS. WE ARE WISE.GO AWAY
Massa Jon Mahama so are you telling Ghanaians that with all the deals and the creaming of over invoiced project contracts in particular the Embraerer over infalted cost and the Ameri deal and other stolen monies you have not got the enough cash to build yourself a reasonable house to live in and therefore have to request or block a state residence meant for your northner brother Dr Bawumia - SHAME UNTO YOU !!!!AND WHAT KIND OF EVIL GREEDINESS IS THIS !!!!!!!AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN !!!!!!; WHAT SHALL YOU GAIN WHEN YOU AMASS THE WHOLE PROPERTIES IN ACCRA AND DUBAI AND ALL THE CASH IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT FOR YOUR FAMILY AND LOOSE YOUR SOUL ; NANA ADDO WAS ACCUSED OF LIVING IN HIS FATHERS HOUSE BY THE NDC WHICH WAS A NOBLE THING TO DO AT LEAST AFTER HIS TENURE HE WILL NOT SEEK A STATE PROPERTY : WHY DO YOU NOT JUST GO ANFD BUILD ONE FOR YOURSELF :WHY DO YOU DISGRACE YOURSELF AND FAMILY !!!!!!!!JON MAHAMA !!!!!
whats all these noise about? Mr Mahama gently conceded defeat and handed over power in a peaceful transition. Now, his entitled benefits also are be scrutinised. whats wrong with these uneducated NPP's? the next line of action will mean the new government will have to use state funds to build him a new modern place that may be more expensive in cost than the old residence. Who is loosing here?
Nii Abbey please lets not go there. The request to keep the house was shameful, needless and a smack of greediness. No two ways about that for the ff reasons: 1. When you have failed to settle former President Kuffour 2. Where do you want the Vice President to go and stay 3. If all Presidents decides to keep their accommodation, Nii abbey , what will happen to future generations. What is wrong is wrong , Nii and no matter our political affiliations, we must condemn it .
AM VERY SAD TO HEAR THIS. WHY ARE WE HUMILIATING PRESIDENT MAHAMA. HAS HE DISGRACED HIMSELF FOR LEADING THIS COUNTRY? I HOPE PRESIDENT AKUFFO ADDO WILL BE HIS OWN MAN AND WONT SIT DOWN BY LITTLE ONES LIKE JOHN BUADU AND NANA AKUMIAH TO DICTATE TO HIM. tHE PRESIDENT HAS SAID RECENTLY THAT GHANA IS NOT A POOR COUNTRY SO WHAT IS ALL THIS. PRESIDENT KUFOUR HAS JUMPED IN AND HAVE SAID MAHAMA DESERVES THAT HOUSE SO WHERE FROM ALL THE DISRESPECTFUL ACTS FROM THIS NPP FOLLOWERS. KOFOUR WAS GIVE A BIG HOUSE AT TRASACO HE SAID HE DOES NOT WANT IT AND AM SURE HE IS NOT LEFT ALONE BY THE STATE. I THOUGHT THE NPP SAID THE NDC ARE DISRESPECTFUL AND THINK THEY ARE REALLY SHOWING SIGNALS OF IT. JUST WANT TO TREAT JOHN MAHAMA AS A NOBODY. OH GHANA.
THIS WAS REALLY NEEDLESS. MAHAMA MUST BE SMART TO AVOID SUCH DISGRACE. IF HE IS NOT CAREFUL HE SHALL ALWAYS BE USED TO SATISFY THE INTEREST OF SOME SELFISH ELEMENTS IN NDC AT HIS EXPENSE. IT IS NOW TIME FOR HIM TO REDEEM HIS SELF ESTEEM.
The former president shouldn't have made the request in the first place. It was in bad taste. Especially when former president Kuffuor had not been settled yet after eight years and Mahama was the immediate past president.
The ex-President does not deserve any kudos for the withdrawal. Those congratulating him are really myopic. The man has cheapened and disgraced himself with that request. What was he thinking? That Ghanaians would just say 'hallelujah' to every request from him? He has displayed sheer greediness and he should have known better.
We want to see him vacating the residence in the next two days when did you recognize that these are facilities that are conventionally extended to presidents that leave office. If you were wise enough, you should have settle Ex-prez Kuffour own during your tenor as president. EJECT YOURSELF BEFORE FIRE BURN YOU. GREEDY AND SELFISH PERSON.