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Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) are seething with anger over reports that ministers of state take home a whopping GH22,500 as salaries and allowances.

Some of the DCEs, who spoke to The Chronicle on the subject, expressed worry over the development, pointing out that it was complete discrimination against them. The paper reported on Tuesday that ministers of state take home a cool GH22, 500, comprising GH10, 000 monthly salaries and other allowances.

Minister for Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, however, described as false and a fabrication, the report carried by the paper. A statement issued on Wednesday, said no Ghanaian Minister enjoys an allowances as part of his/her salary, except those entitled to rent refund, because they do not stay in a government-owned residence.

“Why a news medium will choose to imagine such amounts, knowing very well they are false, is surprising, but Ghanaians can be assured that their ministers are not entitled to the said allowances, and do not receive same,” the Minister stated.

Dr. Omane Boamah also noted that a Cabinet Minister does not even earn GH10,000, let alone, a non-Cabinet Minister.

Despite this denial, the Minister failed to inform the public how much a minister of state earns, and other fringe benefits. The DCEs told the Chronicle that it seems they are doing all the donkey work, whilst their bosses are enjoying.

“What are they doing to earn such amounts of money, whilst we, the very ones working at the grassroots to project the government, are wallowing in poverty? Most of us carry different kinds of hypertensive drugs because of the frustration,” one of the DCEs told The Chronicle.

The frustrated MMDCEs claimed that apart from the meager GH2, 100 monthly salary and End of Service Benefit, they do not enjoy any other benefit as their ministers and MPs do, an action they described as total discrimination.

They further mentioned that out of the Gh2, 100 monthly salaries, they sponsor the activities of the various Regional Coordinating councils and party functions.

The regional and constituency executives are also harassing them, day in and day out, for money. According to them, they provide their own security, pay hospital bills themselves among others, out of the GH2, 100 monthly salary.

As if that is not enough, the MMDCEs also hinted that they had not been paid for the past seven months, a situation they noted, could create an atmosphere for corruption to thrive. Some of them even attributed the recent death of the Efutu Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) to frustration and unnecessary pressure from patty machinery.

One of the frustrated MMCES has vowed to go public on their plight in the coming days, if the President does nothing about the situation, since they could no longer live in frustration to die, adding enough is enough!