Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako, has thrown his weight behind formalization of the payment of allowances cum salaries to President and Vice President's spouses.
The President, Nana Akufo-Addo, set up a Committee to consider formalizing the payment of emoluments for Article 71 office holders.
The Committee named Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, submitting their recommendations to the President, suggested that a salary equivalent to a Cabinet Minister who is a Member of Parliament (MP) should be paid to the First Lady while her husband is in office and a payment of a salary equivalent to 80% of that of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament (MP) if the spouse served one full term as President or 100% of salary of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament (MP) if the spouse served two or more full terms as President.
With the Second Lady, the committee’s report, recommended the payment of a salary equivalent to a Cabinet Minister who is not a Member of Parliament (MP) to the Second Lady while her husband is in office and the payment of a salary equivalent to 80% of salary of a Minister of State who is not a Member of Parliament (MP) if the spouse served one full term as President or 100% of salary of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament (MP) if the spouse served two or more full terms as Vice President.
But the report has come under intense criticisms, 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.
However, according to Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Committee's report was to ensure the payment of allowances (salaries) to the spouses of President and Vice President are formalized, in other words, brought into the open instead of it being done in secret as it's been the norm.
“The truth of the matter is that all surviving spouses of Heads of State, current and former, have always received salaries. Lordina Mahama, Naadu Mills, Matilda Amissah-Arthur, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Faustina Acheampong, Fulera Liman etc have all been receiving salaries since President Kufuor's time.
“What has happened now is that the arrangement has been made formal but that was done legally based on the recommendation by the Emoluments Committee,” Mr. Oppong Nkrumah indicated.
Touching on the issue during Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Kweku Baako argued that the past tradition of paying allowances to the spouses without the notice of the public doesn't foster transparency.
He therefore called for the publication of the allowances in public saying ''I would prefer a situation where we elevate it to the level where we will get transparent interrogation of it and accountable interrogation of it. If we don't want it at all, ask for a zero option. I'm not one of those; I'm in principle for it''.
''They perform some tasks. They do and the dignity and status of that office whilst in office and outside office is to be maintained...there are good reasons, phylosophically and in terms of our history, for why this thing is done. If it's not abused, there should be no difficulty. But if you're doing it, also be honest about it. In fact, it should be in the open...Publish it...It's important. It helps with transparency'', he added.
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