First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo has expressed her decision to refund payments made to her since the assumption of her husband, President Akufo-Addo to office.

According to her, she will also decline the offer to be paid allowances.

As such, she has “decided to refund all monies paid to her as allowances from the date of the President’s assumption of office, i.e., from January 2017 to date, amounting to GH¢899,097.84″.

“The First Lady has also decided not to accept any monies that have been allocated to be paid to her pursuant to the recommendations of the Ntiamoa-Baidu committee, as approved by Parliament. She is doing this as a purely personal decision, without prejudice to the rights of others, and not to undermine the propriety of the process undertaken by Parliament.”

The First Lady made this revelation in a statement signed by Korkor Bleboo, the Director of Communications at the Office of the First Lady.

Refusal to accept allowance is without prejudice

Mrs Akufo-Addo’s Director of Communications argued that the First Lady did not request to be paid any allowance. She explained that “she only received that which existed and attached to her status, albeit informally”.

The First Lady further described some comments on the allowances as distasteful, as they portrayed her as “a venal, self-serving and self-centred woman”.

Furthermore, she insisted her refusal to accept the allowance is “without prejudice to the rights others”. Mrs Akufo-Addo maintained it does not undermine the “propriety of the process undertaken by Parliament”.

The First Lady further revealed that she will continue to support her husband in the execution of his mandate as President. This, she insisted is to ensure the development of the country.

“The First Lady will continue to support the President, as she has always done, in the execution of the mandate entrusted to him by the good people of Ghana”.

Committee recommendation on allowances

The committee had recommended that the First Lady be paid a salary equivalent to a Cabinet Minister who is a Member of Parliament while her husband remains in office. Also, she is permitted to receive payment of a salary equivalent to 80% of the salary of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament.

It further indicated that the First lady will be entitiled to 100% of the salary of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament if the spouse served two or more full terms as President.

The committee further suggested that the Second Lady be paid a salary equivalent to a Cabinet Minister who is not an MP while her husband is in office and the Payment of a salary equivalent to 80% of the salary of a Minister of State who is not a Member of Parliament. Similarly, she is entitled to 100% of the salary of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament if the spouse served two or more full terms as Vice President.

The recommendations were made by the five-member Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu committee set up in June 2019 by President Nana Akufo-Addo to make recommendations on the salaries and other gratuities of Article 71 officeholders.