Ghana’s Contentious Article 71 Officeholders More Lavish Than Swedish Officials

…Prof. Kawku Azar

US-based Ghanaian Law Professor, Kwaku Asare, in analysing the recommendations of the Presidential Emoluments Committee set up by Akufo-Addo has observed that the emoluments and benefits to the so-called Article 71 officeholders were way higher than what their counterparts in Sweden were earning.

According to Prof. Asare, he cannot reconcile the rationale for such profligate spending on such political office holders in Ghana when Sweden was way richer than Ghana.

 “Ntiamoa-Baidu distributes ex gratia, luxury vehicles, resettlement packages, spousal salaries, first-class tickets and other benefits as if we are as rich as Sweden. Swedish politicians and judges travel in crowded buses and trains, just like the citizens they represent. Their citizens have decided not to fund a life of luxury for their leaders,’ he wrote in a post.

Among others, the Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee recommended that President Akufo-Addo be given a fleet of four cars when he completes his tenure, and that the car should be changed for the future former President every four years.

In office, the President and his Vice have had their salaries increased to almost a hundred percent of what their predecessors, John Mahama and Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur were paid.

In addition, it also recommended vacationing money of US$50,000 a year for the President and then the most uproarious of all the recommendations so far, that the wives of the President and the Vice President be placed on the same salary as Cabinet Ministers even though they are not Article 71 officeholders.

Parliament has since approved the Committee’s report and the approval has been met with at least two suits at the Supreme Court, especially concerning the remuneration for First and Second ladies.

“Ntiamoa-Baidu has misunderstood the country’s balance sheet and misread its mood. Her recommendations will cost us a fortune, plunge us into further debt, poverty, misery and hardships,” professor Asare said.

“Ntiamoa-Baidu has tasked poor Ghanafuo to finance a life of luxury for the few Article 71 holders even as they struggle to get clean water, reliable electricity and access to toilets.” 

Commenting on the tabling of US$28million and US$3.5million before Parliament by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta for the purchase of luxury cars for MPs and Members of the Council of State, Prof. Asare pointed out that the spending that has been tabled for approval is higher than the entire budget of the Attorney General’s office for the entire year.

“Yet the $31.5M budgeted to purchase luxury vehicles for only 306 Beneficiaries is much higher than the budget of the Attorney-General’s Department,” he wrote.