Renowned legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has added his voice to the list of Ghanaians who have called on former President John Dramani Mahama to return the retirement benefits (ex-gratia) he has received if he is serious about scrapping them if he comes to power again.
Speaking in an interview on TV3, on Saturday, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, lawyer Kpebu said that returning ex-gratia benefits should be nothing for the former President adding that he does this as proof that he means his promise to scrap them.
He added that Mahama should be made to sign an undertaken that will enjoin him to cancel ex-gratia when he becomes president so that his promise will not just be another political talk.
“Mahama made money whiles as president so he should look within himself and say look ‘I will return it’... 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],” he said.
Promise to end ex-gratia and run a lean government:
Former President John Dramani Mahama has promised to scrap the retirement benefit given to the Executive under Article 71 officeholders, known as ex-gratia when he becomes president again.
According to him, his government will start the constitutional processes to scrap ex-gratia in the first year of his administration.
The former president, who made these remarks at the launch of his campaign to become the flagbearer of the NDC on Thursday, added that his government would also work to scrap ex-gratia benefits given to appointees under the other arms of government.
"The payment 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.
"We will also begin the process of persuading the other arms of government other than the executive to accept the removal of this ex-gratia payment," he said.
IB/FNOQ
John Dramani Mahama (right), Martin Kpebu (left)