A private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has asked former President John Dramani Mahama to show good faith by returning the ex-gratia he has received so far.
According to him, the ex-president must do this alongside his resolve to scrap it if he returns to power.
He also noted that the flagbearer-hopeful of the NDC should also put into writing his intention.
“Mahama made money whiles as president so he should look within himself and say look ‘I will return it’. He should return it because, in these national elections, they are going to do, hundreds of millions of dollars, where does it come from? 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 is quoted by 3news.com.
Martin Kpebu added that “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].”
John Mahama during his announcement to run for the presidential primaries said he will ensure that ex-gratia and other emoluments for Article 71 office holders will be scrapped when he returns to power.
“We will continue and bring to a conclusion the constitutional review process begun by the late President Atta Mills which will review the controversial Article 71 to reduce the number of office holders under Article 71 and reduce the disparity in privileges and emoluments vis a vis the public sector and civil servants. The payments of ex-gratia to members of the executive under Article 71 will be scrapped and the necessary processes to abolish that system will start in earnest in 2025,” he said.
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Martin Kpebu is a lawyer