Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye DC has alleged that, the main motive of John Mahama seeking political power again is to settle debt owed some party faithful.
The vibrant regional chairman made these assertions at a press conference held at Press Center in Accra, on September 19, 2022.
Reacting to the Former President’s promise to review the ex-gratia when voted in to power again, Abronye DC said, the promise is more a political gimmick and as such no one should take it serious.
He alleged that, the former president has always approved and accepted ex-gratia when he was in office, citing the constitutional review committee white paper.
“Article 278 dictates that the commission is to present a report to the president after its work, for the president to issue a White Paper. Mahama was in the cabinet when the White Paper was issued. He and Atta-Mills agreed that Article 71 which makes it possible for the payment of ex-gratia is a good thing so a commission it to be empowered to recommend the payment of ex-gratia every four years.
This is White Paper which was issued by Mahama and JEA Mills on 1st June 2012. He has already given ex-gratia his blessing but because he wants Ghanaians’ vote, he has come out publicly to say he will change it,” he said.
He added that, the former president will settle people who owe with ex-gratia when he comes to power again.
“John Dramani Mahama has said he owes some NDC people which is why he wants to come back to power to help the NDC people he was unable to help during his tenure. If he is deceiving Ghanaians using ex-gratia, it is not because of the nation that he wants to come back.
“He owes some NDC people. So when he comes, he will start giving end-of-service benefits to people such as National Youth Organizers of the party till the end of his four-year term,” he added.
It will be recalled the former president in an interview with TV3 last week complained that he has not been paid his emoluments, adding that he rents his office himself and pays his bill.
He also denied receiving 14 million cedis as ex- gratia as alleged by the Bono Regional Chairman.
source: theGhanaianvoice.com