I don’t trust him and will never trust him.“As the, Founder and CEO of the Atta-Mills Institute, I have consistently said that we must implement the White Paper of the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) that was set up by President Atta-Mills.
Now he wants only 4 years to do what?” He stressed.Mr Mahama has however described the comment by private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu to return all the ex gratia paid to him in the past following his promise to cancel it, as silly.Addressing supporters of the NDC in the Volta region on Saturday, March 4, Mr Mahama said “I said categorically that when we come into office we will cancel ex gratia for the executives because the president is in charge of the executive, so he can cancel it for the executives but then you have to persuade the other arms of government to see that there is no fairness in continuing to pay ourselves ex gratia when the ordinary worker does not receive it because you are the leaders, you must show by example.
So, I said categorically that we will cancel exgratia.“And then somebody who should know better, a lawyer, he said, then I should refund all the ex gratia we took before to show Ghanaians that yes, we are serious about cancelling it, he does not even know the principle in our constitution that says that you can’t pass retroactive legislative if you pass legislative today, it does not affect what happened in the past, what he says is a bit silly because it is like saying because we have introduced free SHS all of us should go and get a refund of our school fees that we paid in the past.
That is how silly what he is saying is.”READ ALSO: [Video] EC Chair's refusal to testify a bad precedent - MahamaMr Martin Kpebu had said it makes sense to ask Mr Mahama to return the ex gratia that he received after indicating that he is going to cancel its payment should he win the next elections as President.As a sign of commitment, Mr Kepbu said, Mr Mahama should return all the payments made to him.Speaking on TV3 Saturday, March 4, Mr Kpebu said “Mahama made money whiles as president so he should look within himself and say look ‘I will return it’.
So he should just tell the people ‘I have grown older, I think I have become wiser, I am returning the money,’ That exgratia 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.
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 amendment he should put into writings.”Mr Mahama promised that he will scrap ex gratia when he gets the nod to lead this country again.“The payment of ex gratia to members of the executive will be scrapped,” Mr Dramani Mahama announced when he launched his bid to be the 2024 Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).“The necessary constitutional steps to take this will start in earnest in 2025.