The focus of the discussion on emoluments for first and second ladies has shifted to the former First Lady, Lordina Mahama with pressure mounting on her to glean lessons from the actions of her successor Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
Following Rebecca Akufo-Addo’s decision to refund the allowances which were paid her from January 2017 to June 2021, some members of the governing New Patriotic Party are making similar calls on the Lordina Mahama to refund same.
The first of these demands was made by the General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu who has asked Lordina Mahama to return the monies she enjoyed as first lady between 2012 to 2016 to the state.
“Let me say this emphatically, former President Mahama’s wife, Lordina Mahama, must, as a matter of urgency, refund all monies paid to her since January 2017 till now.
“Those she received as far back as 2009 should also be refunded. The monies she has received from that time till now would amount to GH¢3.2 million,” Mr Boadu stated.
This appeal inspired his youth organizer, Henry Nana Boakye who has threatened to embark on a demonstration if Lordina Mahama does not refund the money.
"...The First Lady having heard the discussions going on about their allowances and upon sober reflections has decided to refund all allowances paid her since 2017 as recommended by the committee. So we expect the former First Lady Madam Lordina Mahama to also refund the money paid to her by the state.
"Her refusal to do so will lead to a massive demonstration by the youth of this country," he stated.
The latest to make such call is the Bono Regional Chairman of the party, Kwame Baffoe Abronye who said on Neat FM that it will be a good move on the part of Lordina Mahama to refund the money.
“Whatever has been given to any former first lady must be declared by the Supreme Court as null and void. Lordina Mahama enjoyed allowances and must return it”. Meanwhile, Sammy Gyamfi, the Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress has revealed the amount of money enjoyed by Lordina Mahama as allowance. “The agreement was that all former first ladies who were facing some challenges were going to receive some allowance every three months. The Rawlings government did it for Fathia (Nkrumah), Busia’s wife and other former first ladies.
“They also did it for sitting spouses that every three months, they’ll be given some allowances. The money was not huge. In fact former first lady Lordina Mahama took GH¢8,000 every three months. The allowance was not the only thing the country did for them, they were given offices for their charity works and other activities. Government paid for the operation of their offices and gave them cars,” he said.
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