Former Member of Parliament Joseph Cudjoe has questioned whether President John Dramani Mahama has abandoned the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) campaign promise to abolish ex-gratia payments for Article 71 office holders.
Cudjoe's concerns stem from the government's White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee's recommendations, which he argues suggests that the promise has been dropped. The former Minister for Public Enterprises points out that while the NDC made the abolition of ex gratia one of its flagship campaign promises ahead of the 2024 general election, the White Paper does not propose eliminating the benefit.
A Broken Campaign Promise?
The White Paper recommends the establishment of an Independent Public Emoluments Commission to determine the salaries, allowances, and benefits of Article 71 office holders. Cudjoe notes that the document explicitly refers to the President's retirement gratuity and proposes that it be exempt from tax, which he says indicates that ex-gratia payments are expected to continue rather than be abolished.
Cudjoe argues that although the Constitutional Review Committee did not recommend scrapping ex-gratia, the NDC had gone beyond the committee's proposals by promising Ghanaians that it would abolish the benefit. "The unavoidable conclusion is that President Mahama has, at least so far, scrapped his promise to scrap ex-gratia," he stated.
A Call to Action
The former minister is urging the government to amend the White Paper to explicitly provide for the abolition of ex-gratia and introduce the necessary constitutional amendments. Until such steps are taken, Cudjoe believes that Ghanaians have every reason to believe the campaign promise has been abandoned.
Cudjoe's statement has sparked a renewed debate about the NDC's commitment to its campaign promises. As the 2024 general election approaches, the issue of ex-gratia payments for Article 71 office holders is likely to remain a contentious topic.
The Implications
The controversy surrounding ex-gratia payments has raised questions about the government's transparency and accountability. If the promise to abolish ex-gratia has indeed been scrapped, it will be a significant betrayal of the public's trust. The consequences of such a move could be far-reaching, and it remains to be seen how the government will respond to Cudjoe's call for action.
The debate over ex-gratia payments is far from over, and it will be interesting to see how the government will address Cudjoe's concerns. Will they amend the White Paper to reflect the NDC's original promise, or will they stick to the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee? Only time will tell.
Source: Joy Online
