Ex-gratia: Togbe Afede XIV deserves praise – Old Vandals

Global Old Vandals Network has called on Ghanaians to heap praises on Togbe Afede for his show of leadership in refunding his ex-gratia to the state.

The group of vandals across the globe, in a statement, said the actions of the Volta chief had brought a lot of praise from all manner of right-thinking people in the country.

Global Vandal Network is a group of students who graduated from the University of Ghana and were in the Commonwealth Hall of residence.

Below are details of the statement addressed to Togbe Afede:

We write to commend you for the exemplary principle and leadership you showed by refunding your Ex- Gratia back to State Coffers.

Your act has brought you lots of praise from all manner of right-thinking people, which you deserve.

Nations thrive on good acts, and therefore when acts like yours take place, they should be welcomed and celebrated and inspiration drawn from them to chart a new course for progress going forward.

Council of State positions, looking at the constitution, are for people who have made it financially in life but intend to serve their nation due to their patriotism and intent to give something back to society.

The benefit such people should receive should be the recognition and respect the people of Ghana would accord them.

But we have observed that the Council of State positions have become an avenue for those who serve on it to make money, and one such way is the payment of Ex Gratia to them.

We find your act especially deserving of praise because you had the courage not to take refuge in the fact that it was your right under the constitution as an Article 71 Office Holder.

In this way, you rose above legality and stood for morality and principle.

One of the reasons given by you for returning the money is that the Council of State position and work is not full-time, and therefore the payment isn't deserving.

You also said Ghana is a poor nation whose people suffer and that such payments should have been used to better their lot.

We support those views.

We observe that despite the constitution backing the payment, it is a drain on the nation's resources, and it was crafted by the framers without taking cognisance of this fact.

Article 71 has become acute cancer on the nation's finances.

And when it is compared to what other categories of government workers- Public and Civil Servants get, then one finds it is also very unfair.

The amount you returned, GHC 365,000, for one term of service -4 years- and for a non-full-time position- is very huge as compared to other government workers whose pension for working their entire life is nowhere near that amount.

If that figure is what is given to Council of State members for that short period of service on a part-time basis, we can only imagine with horror the gargantuan amounts given to those who serve on full-time for several terms under the article.

This is a heavy and unsustainable burden on our national purse, and in a suffering society such as ours, that arrangement must not be allowed to stand for all that it represents.

Ghanaians have been calling for the removal of Article 71 and other obnoxious provisions in our constitution that allow such conditions you have taken a stance against.

We support you, and we are not surprised you took that stand.

Your honesty and dedication to the cause of humanity have helped you to take that decision.

We believe people should truly serve and not come to enrich themselves at the cost of the poor people of this nation.

We, therefore, applaud you and further urge you to champion the call for this condition in the constitution to be removed.

Togbui we know that you have taken the stance based on the motto of Vandalism: Truth Stands.

We also know there are some people who may fight you for your stance.

These are people who are enjoying those unconscionable earnings or are waiting to get the chance to enjoy them when they scheme their way to Article 71 offices.

Graciously ignore them knowing that the majority of Ghanaians stand with you and support you.