Salaries For Wives Of Heads Of State Not Recommendation By Akufo-Addo – Abronye
The hullabaloo and debate on the spouses of heads of state receiving salary have been put to rest after the Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kwame Baffoe set the record straight.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo has not recommended to pay salary to wives of sitting and former Presidents.
The host of ‘Nsem Pa Fie’ flagship programme on Wontumi Radio/TV said on Saturday that, it is a recommendation from the emolument committee for spouses of sitting and former heads of state to be catered for.
“It is in the report of the emolument committee that spouses of heads of state should be catered for as part of the privilege extended to the President and his Vice,” he said.
Abronye, as Kwame Baffoe is affectionately called stated that paying allowance to the spouses have been in existence since the regime of former President Kufour after wives of the late Presidents petitioned him for help over hardship in 2000.
“President Kufour paid the allowance to the wives till he ended his tenure,” he affirmed.
According to Abronye, late President, Prof Atta Mills also continued to pay the allowance when he was voted into power in 2009.
However, The NPP Bono Regional Chairman challenged former President, John Mahama to come out and deny the report by the emolument committee.
“John Mahama is a ‘419’ and clever bully. He chances on national debate issues.”
Abronye stressed that, if John Mahama is criticizing the salary payment, then he should refund the allowances paid to his wife, Lordina Mahama from 2009 to 2016.
“Now John Mahama is saying during his era, the economy was stable and it was good to pay the allowance but now there is hardship so it is not relevant to pay the allowance,” he noted.
According to him, if the former President is indirectly telling Lordina Mahama to return the allowance, Ghanaians are ready to collect it.