Nana Akomea
Former President John Dramani Mahama and Nana Akomea, Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC), are in a disagreement over ex-gratia payments.
Nana Akomea recently urged Mahama to refrain from accepting the payments of ex-gratia henceforth since he says he will review it when he returns to power.
During an appearance on Peace FM‘s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme last week, Nana Akomea expressed his intention to demonstrate his stance on abolishing ex-gratia since Mahama is current recipient of the controversial package and does not need to wait until he returns to power.
In response, Mahama clarified on Twitter that he does not accept ex-gratia and instead receives a monthly pension.
He tweeted: “My friend Nana Akomea. Really sad what politics can do to a fine mind! I don’t take ex-gratia. I receive a monthly pension.”
Mahama had previously stated at the launch of his campaign towards Election 2024 that one of his first acts as President would be the scrapping of ex-gratia payments for members of the Executive under Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution.
“The payments of ex- gratia to members of the Executive under Article 71 will be scrapped and the necessary constitutional steps to abolish that payment will start in earnest in 2025… persuading the other arms of government other than the Executive to accept the removal of these ex-gratia members,” he said.
Mahama believes that the removal of ex-gratia payments is necessary to ensure the judicious use of public funds.
He plans to initiate constitutional steps to abolish the payment in 2025 and persuade other arms of government to accept its removal.
In spite of his public criticism of the payments, Mahama and his wife Lordina Mahama smiles to the bank every month pocketing fat ex-gratia payments in addition to state fueled vehicles with other perks.
The disagreement between Mahama and Akomea highlights the controversy surrounding ex-gratia payments to public officials or political officeholders. While some argue that it is a necessary compensation for public service, others see it as a burden on the public purse.
However, Nana Akomea said Mr. Mahama should stop insulting people who shares different opinions on the ex-gratia by calling them silly.
Nana Akomea Replies John Mahama
In a post reacting to Mr. Mahama’s alleged insult on those who have criticised his opaque position on the ex-gratia, Nana Akomea said he was sad about the comment of the former president.
“I have just seen a news report titled ‘Really sad what politics can do to a fine mind’.
“In this report, ex-President Mahama berates me for calling on him to stop taking Ex-Gratia. It is my view that, ex-President Mahama can show he means business with his pledge to scrap Ex-Gratia enjoyed by Article 71 office holders if he will forego his own Ex-Gratia benefits.
“I used the term Ex-Gratia loosely to refer to what is officially titled: Facilities, Privileges and Benefits for Article 71 office holders.
“In his rebuttal, Mahama says what he collects is not Ex-Gratia but a monthly pension. But I take Mahama’s assertion that what he now takes is strictly, not Ex-Gratia, but a monthly Pension.
“But ex-President Mahama knows he does not just receive only some monthly pension.
“The Article 71 entitlements or Facilities, Privileges and Benefits as enjoyed by an ex-President includes free fully furnished residence /or (40% of his salary in lieu), free fully furnished office, four staff paid by the state at the level of Deputy Minister, 24-hour security, four new chauffeur-driven vehicles changed every four years comprehensive insurance, two fully paid vacations with three other people every year, free water, free electricity, free telephone services, free medical and dental services.
“The concern expressed by Ghanaians has been about the burden on the taxpayer from this whole Article 71 perks, or Facilities, Privileges and Benefits. I wholly support a thorough review of this whole Article 71 burden.
“So I fully endorse ex-President Mahama’s sentiments. I only asked him to show leadership by reviewing his own entitlements in the light of the burden these present to the taxpayer and his plan to scrap the Ex-Gratia.
“Even if ex-President Mahama disagrees with me, I am sad that he chose to lace his disagreement with insults to my person, by implying politics had caused me to lose my “fine mind”.
“The last time other citizens commented on this same sentiments of former President Mahama, he met them with similar insults, calling them “Silly”.
“I urge ex-President Mahama, that if he wants to be President of Ghana again, he should refrain from insulting citizens.
“I assure him I am still his friend and I still have a fine mind,” he suggested.
By Vincent Kubi