Should we pay spouses of Speaker and CJ too? - Sam George asks
Sam George is MP for Ningo Prampram
Sam George, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram is not happy about plans by government to formalize allowances paid to the wives of the president and his vice.
Read full articleHe joins a growing list of lawmakers who are against the move despite being in the parliament that approved the recommendations of an emoluments committee constituted by president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He is quoted by Peace FM as saying, government might as well include the spouses of the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice given that they also lead specific arms of government.
He announced that he will take the matter to court in due course. He will be the third opposition MP to head to court after colleagues Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor and Clement Apaak of South Dayi and Builsa South respectively filed processes in the Supreme Court days ago.
"I am a Member of Parliament, I personally do not subscribe to that, whether it is an NDC President or an NPP President, your wife is not a public officer, your wife is your wife.
"Are we also going to say that the spouse of the Chief Justice, the spouse of the Speaker must also be paid? Where do we draw the line. Already they get allowances, they get protection from the state at the expense of the taxpayer and I don't have a problem with that..." he submitted.
Former president John Dramani Mahama has also said he disagrees with the move and that government was wrong to try sneaking presidential spouses into Article 71 office holders, who are the specific category of people a presidential committee on emoluments can address.
