Former President John Dramani Mahama is under serious pressure following his campaign promise to scrap ex- gratia which many are doubting.
A private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu who has been having banters with the former President insists Mr. Mahama is not credible to be President again until he refunds all the Ex-gratia paid him.
He insisted that the 2020 Presidential Candidate of National Democratic Congress (NDC) must return all ex-gratia paid to him if indeed he wants to scrap the retirement benefits of Article 71 office holders as promised.
Lawyer Kpebu indicated on Accra based NEAT FM that Mr Mahama’s believability will be in doubt if he refuses to return what he has benefited from and now proposing to scrap it if he becomes President again.
“Until he returns all his ex-gratia, he is not credible to be President again,” he told host Kwesi Aboagye.
This is in the wake of after the former President said he was not in the position now to return the retirement benefits he has received because he has no other source of income as a ‘pensioner’.
“I have spent the money already and now I am a pensioner, where am I going to get that money to pay back? I am unemployed but they say bring yours to show you have good faith, I have no source of income, and you say I shouldn’t work.
“They say the President should not hold the office of profits so you gave it to me, I spent it then you come and say I should refund it, where am I going to refund it from?” Mr Mahama queries.
But Lawyer Kpebu is suggesting to him that “He [Mr Mahama] can use his campaign donations money to pay back some of his ex-gratia. Until then, he is not credible.”
Earlier, the lawyer also asked him to put it into writing his promise to scrap ex gratia payment and sign it accordingly.
According to him, that promise should not just be in the party’s manifesto.
Speaking on TV3 Saturday, Mr Kpebu said “Mahama made money whiles as president so he should look within himself and say look ‘I will return it’. He should return it because, in these national elections, they are going to spend, hundreds of millions of dollars, where does it come from? They made money so the ex-gratia is small. So he should just tell the people ‘I have grown older, I think I have become wiser, I am returning the money,’ That ex-gratia he should return it.
“You know Dan Kwaku Yeboah of Peace FM, I think he is the lead campaigner for Mr Mahama to return his ex- gratia. When I looked at it I said yes it made sense. Mr Mahama should do introspection and return it as a sign of good faith, that once I have returned the money I am committed. Number two, the amendments, he should put them in writing.
“He said they will do far-reaching Constitutional Amendments including Article 71, excellent, we agree, he has done well but let’s put it all in writing, signed by him in a better addressed to the people of Ghana that these are the Constitutional amendments he is championing, we don’t want it in a party [manifesto].
This comes in the wake of the promise by Mr Mahama that he will scrap ex-gratia when he gets the nod to lead this country again.
“The payment of ex-gratia to members of the executive will be scrapped,” Mr Dramani Mahama announced when he launched his bid to be the 2024 Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ho.
“The necessary constitutional steps to take this will start in earnest in 2025. We will also persuade members of the other arms of government to accept its removal,” he assured.
By Vincent Kubi