Ex Gratia: What Akufo-Addo, Bawumia Others Will Be Paid For Their Work From 2017 To 2020

• The schedule of ex gratia payments that president Akufo-Addo, his vice, and other Article 71 public office holders are entitled to has been revealed
• The list shows that for being in office between 2017 to 2020, the president, for instance, will be paid GH¢659,392 aside from the monthly salary he received
• The list has stirred reactions on social media with many calling for reforms in the emoluments for some categories of public office holders

A list of ex gratia payments to that President Nana Akufo-Addo, his vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and other top public officers are entitled to for their time in office between 2017 and 2020 has popped up.

The schedule of payments shows that for the four years that the president would be in power, he would take home GH¢659,392 as “thank you for serving us,” aside the monthly salaries he received within the period, while his vice takes home GH¢549,492.

Read also

Outrageous ex gratia payments, others need reform – Prof Azar backs Togbe Afede

The Speaker of Parliament will take home GH¢488,465, while a cabinet minister who is also an MP will take home GH¢464,032 as ex gratia. A cabinet minister who is not an MP will take home GH¢457,928.

The list, posted on the Facebook page of Joy News also shows that an MP will take home GH¢390,768, while a member of the Council of State will GH¢366,340 as ex gratia.

YEN.com.gh has compiled some of the comments triggered by the list:

Augustine Adu-Poku, commenting @adupokuaugustine said:

"It seems the work of the politician is so valuable than all other services rendered by other professionals in this country. How can we build a country with this system?"

Richard Nana Akuffo also made the following observation:

Read also

Paul’s dishonesty hurts me – Togbe Afede laments

"Ghana is indeed bleeding, who suffers the most, of course the average Ghanaian worker who is only given a paltry amount of money as monthly salary "

IamEdrino Greatness also said:

"No wonder everyone is fighting to become a politician because of Ex gratia. We must cancel this thing and reduce their salaries too and see if people will still be interested in politics. They only want money lol "

Togbe Afede triggers debate after returning over GH¢365K "unnecessary" ex gratia

Paramount Chief of the Asogli State Togbe Afede XIV triggered a national debate for turning down over GH¢365,000 given to him as ex gratia.

Initial reports had claimed that the GH¢365,392.67 paid to the prominent traditional ruler was to trap him, however, in a statement issued on June 6, 2022, he explained that he felt the payment was simply inappropriate.

“I did not think the payment was made to trap me, as is being speculated. I believe it was paid to everybody who served on the Council of State. However, I thought that extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work, for which I received a monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges. So, I was very uncomfortable with it,” the chief clarified.

Read also

Togbe Afede should have refunded more than GH¢365,392 – Adom-Otchere

Togbe Afede returned huge ex gratia to wake the nation’s conscience, says Prof Azar

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported that Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, known popularly as Prof Azar, has said Togbe Afede XIV returned his ex gratia to draw attention to outrageous payments in the public sector.

Despite some critical comments from some people, the US-based Ghanaian private legal practitioner thinks that although the decision by the paramount chief Asogli State to return the GH¢365,392 is commendable, praise was not what he wanted.

“Rather, he returned it to draw our attention, [wake] our conscience, and push us to insist on the reform of a predatory emolument regime that transfers huge and outrageous amounts to a few people who volunteer to serve poor Ghana."

Source: YEN.com.gh