Former appointees in the Mahama government have accused the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of withholding ten percent of their salary arrears even though they have already left office.
According to them, although they were not in office, the Controller and Accountant General still deducted ten percent from their salary arrears but was not injected into the CHPS compound projects which warranted the cut.
Speaking to Citi News, a former Presidential Staffer, Emelia Arthur demanded a refund of the monies.
“It has come to our attention that since we left office some back pay that was owed us, Controller and Accountant General disbursed the ten percent, lodged it with Bank of Ghana and between controller and Bank of Ghana we don’t know where that money is. Because we were no longer in office, it is our private money and not for the state any longer.”
She explained that a team of former appointees are currently liaising with the sectors involved for the monies to be returned to them.
“That money is with them, it is our private money and we want that money back. I am not sure of the amount. But what we have done is that a team of former appointees have come together and have been liaising with the Ministry of Finance, bank of Ghana, controller and Accountant general for the 10 percent of the arrears deducted to be returned to us,” she added.
Mahama 10% pay cut missing
Ms Arthur made the claim a day after member of the Public Accounts Committee and Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso accused the former administration of not using due process in transferring the monies worth more than two million Ghana cedis meant for the construction of some CHPS compounds.
But the former appointee insisted that the followed due process and the 10 percent pay cut was used for the purpose to which it was intended.
“At the time we were leaving office, we had built 11 and started a twelfth one. And then we started a last one in Volta Region, Ho Zongo specifically. It was at the foundation stage when we left office. And because we weren’t going to be in office for further deductions to take place, it stopped at that.”
She said out of number six were fully completed, some of which were commissioned adding that “five were nearly done, because they are usable and habitable and left with were left with only some small touches.”
Emelia Arthur explained that as at the time they were leaving office, “all we need to finish everything was about GHc124, 000 to finish the other five of the 11 except Ho that was at foundation level.”
“We followed due process. Whenever the contractor raised a certificate it would go with the necessary attached memos through the process in the office of the president as is used by all MDAs per financial laws in this country. Once we were satisfied that the certificates that had being raised were justified the accountant in the Flagstaff House would sign a cheque in the name of the contractor and it will be given to the contractor who then will pay into his account and the office of the president will alert the Bank of Ghana that such a cheque with this amount has issued to this entity and the cheque will be honoured. All these are verifiable.”
<<Print>>