Former United Nations (UN) Senior Advisor, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah has suggested that the First and Second lady gave up their allowances due to pressure from the general public.
Speaking on the refunding of the emoluments, Prof Agyeman-Duah noted that the issue Ghanaians should have tackled should have been how they were going to be paid instead.
“I think these ladies under pressure have decided to give up these allowances.”
Prof Agyeman-Duah
He also intimated that the public has been unfair to the Ladies and attributed the issue to the divisive politics in the nation which tends to turn everything into politics.
“In a way, I think, we have not been very fair to the First Ladies in terms of going beyond the framework of the criticism, which is the legality of placing them under Article 71, for orders to come for some kind of vicious attacks on these innocent ladies.
“That in itself is not good. I think we would have to be a little bit reflective when it comes to these critical issues. That has been our problem and I think we have to find a better way of managing this particular issue.”
Prof Agyeman-Duah
Works of first and second ladies shouldn’t be underestimated
Touching on the critics of the allowance to be given to the First and Second Ladies, he said those critics and Ghanaians in general should not underestimate the work that the spouses of the President and Vice President do.
Citing the likes of Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings and her 31st December Movement, he said the First Ladies put in tremendous work to contribute to development of the nation.
“If you come to the present First Lady, Madam Rebecca Akufo-Addo, certainly we can quickly recall her work in Kumasi putting up a maternity building in a matter of a year and many other tremendous things that she is doing.”
Prof Agyeman-Duah
For Prof. Agyeman Duah, the work of the presidential spouses should be looked at independent of their husbands.
Ghana’s First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Second Lady Samira Bawumia, after public debate about allowances they receive from the state, decided to refund all the monies since 2017.
First lady settles GHS899,097.84 allowance
Meanwhile, a letter from the office of the First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has announced that she has released a cheque of GHS899,097.84 to the state to settle all allowances paid to her from January 7, 2017, to date.
This comes after the First Lady promised to refund all the allowances and also reject any new salaries approved for presidential spouses by the Ntiamoa-Baidu committee on emoluments for Article 17 officeholders.
The statement signed by an Aide at the office of the First Lady, Shirley Laryea, said “I am directed to forward, herewith, a Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited cheque number 000002 for an amount of GHC899,097.84 (Eight Hundred and Ninety-Nine Thousand Ninety-Seven Ghana cedis Eighty-Four pesewas) being the refund for monies received from 7th January 2017 to date as allowances given to Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic.
“As disclosed by the statement issued on 12th of July, 2021, Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic, is refunding the amount stated above and also takes this opportunity to decline any allowances to be paid to her in the future.”
The letter further stated that the First Lady remains committed to her role as First Lady and is devoted to her charity work, championing the well-being of women and children in Ghana.
