•This follows the acceptance of recommendations by an emolument committee
•Executive Director of Media Foundation has asked the first and second ladies of the land to brace themselves up for public examination
The Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has asked Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia to be ready for public scrutiny because they will be receiving taxpayers’ monies as salaries.
His comment comes on the back of news reports that spouses of the President and Vice President will start receiving salaries from the government.
Commenting on the issue in a tweet sighted by GhanaWeb, Sulemana Braimah said, “Now that the First Lady and Second Lady are on Cabinet Minister-level salaries, they should be ready for massive public scrutiny. They are now our employees too.”
The Government of Ghana adopted a recommendation by an emolument committee which was set up in June 2019 by President Akufo-Addo.
It was subsequently approved by the seventh parliament.
Earlier reports indicated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had unilaterally decided to pay his wife Rebecca Akufo-Addo and the wife of his vice, Samira Bawumia, salaries but Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has clarified that the approval was done by the previous parliament.
Oppong-Nkrumah said, “The President does approve salaries and benefits for the Executive. Under Article 71, the First Lady and Second Lady are not office holders so no one can determine their benefits under that article.
“However, a committee only recommended that an arrangement for the spouses be made formal and that received approval from Parliament,” he indicated.
Oppong Nkrumah referenced some practices in the past where the allowances for the spouses of first and second ladies were increased by the executive arm of government.
Meanwhile, you can nominate personalities and organisations for the GhanaWeb Excellence Awards, the people's choice award scheme aimed at acknowledging personalities, groups, and organisations who have contributed immensely to the development of Ghana.
Nominations are unlimited and end on August 31, 2021.
Below are the seventeen categories and their criteria to guide your nominations.
First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia