Nana Akomea, the managing director of the State Transport Corporation (STC), has insisted that former President John Dramani Mahama receives ex-gratia benefits.
Akomea made these remarks while responding to an answer given to him by the former president after he told him (Mahama) to give up his ex-gratia from May 2023 if he is serious about his promise to cancel the retirement benefit if he comes to power again.
Mahama via a social media post lamented Akomea's views stating thus: "Really sad what politics can do to a fine mind," referring to Nana Akomea as "my friend."
He clarified that as a former president, he receives monthly pensions, not ex-gratia as Akomea claimed.
But in a statement copied to GhanaWeb, Nana Akomea, a former director of communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), said that the former president receives more than the monthly pensions he claims.
“In his rebuttal, Mahama says what he collects is not Ex-Gratia but a monthly pension. I take President Mahama’s assertion that what he now takes is strictly, not Ex-Gratia, but a monthly Pension. But 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, (standing on this entitlement, President Mahama had demanded to be given the official residence of the Vice President Of Ghana), 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 etc,” parts of the statement read.
He added that he is only asking the former president to show commitment to a sentiment of Ghana he has promised to address.
“So, I fully endorse 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 tax payer and his plan to scrap the Ex-Gratia,” he said.
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Nana Akomea (left), John Dramani Mahama (right)
