Di Supreme Court for Ghana don rule say di decision by di state to pay di first lady and wife of di vice president salary, na unconstitutional.
Per di arrangement, First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo go collect Ghc 21,000 ($3500) per month, same as di wife of di VP.
Dis go sum up to Ghc 1,134,000 (about $191,268) which she go take as back pay from 2017.
But according to di seven-member panel of di Supreme Court wey chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo dey preside, dis two pipo and dia office no dey fall under “public office, wey di constitution tok.”
Bifor now, di two personalities suppose to receive salaries afta di kontris emoluments committee don decide say dem deserve salaries sake of dia duties as first lady and wife of di vice president.
Two pipo carry dis mata go di apex court for 2021 afta parliament of Ghana approve di emoluments committee recommendation say make di two of dem receive salaries for dia work.
One of di two pipo na di governing party im Bono Regional chairman wey im name be Kwame Baffoe.
For im writ, Kwame Baffoe ask di Supreme Court make dem “declare say di two offices neva dey under public office for di kontri constitution.”
Im also add say “parliament neva fit to initiate or approve payment of dis kind salary without a law wey go come from di goment.”
Kwame Baffoe im writ further add say “make di court declare say di approval of dis salary for di first lady and wife of di vice president dey null and void.”
Di oda pesin wey file similar action for di same court, na opposition member of parliament, Nelson Rockson Dafeamekpor.
Im too ask di court say make dem declare di emoluments committee report wey recommend di salary to di two personalities as “unconstitutional”.
Wetin dis emolument Commitee recommend as salary for di first lady and wife of di VP
Di committee wey di president Nana Akufo-Addo set up for 2020, don consider di emoluments for public office holders wey di law categorize as article 71 office holders.
Dis include members of di executive, judiciary and legislature.
Di committee recommend say make di state pay di first lady, moni wey dey equivalent to salary of cabinet minister wia im also be member of parliament.
For di wife of di VP, di committee decide say make di state pay am moni wey dey equivalent to di salary of cabinet minister wey no be member of parliament.
Dis arrangement go dey for di period wia dia husbands don dey office as president and vice.
Parliament go ahead wey dem unanimously approve dis emoluments, but e cause plenti wahala dat time for social media.
Pipo don blast parliament and goment say dem dey approve salary for first lady and VP wife at a time di kontri dey suffer economic hardship.
First lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and VP wife Samira Bawumia don refund dia allowances
Afta di public backlash, di first lady issue statement wey she tok say im dey refund all di moni di state pay am since 2017 wen im husband become president of di kontri.
Im tok say “first ladies and VP wives don already dey receive allowance informally for long time under past goments.”
Na di only tin dis committee and Parliment at di time do be say dem “formalize dis payment of di allowance.”
“Di way pipo dey tok dis mata wit so much negative opinions dey make e dey look like I be insensitive and selfish pesin wey no care about di plight of di ordinary Ghanaian,” di first lady tok.
Im add say sake of dat, im go refund all di allowance dem pay am since im husband Nana Akufo-Addo don become president for 2017.
“I dey return di moni from January 2017 to date (12 July 2021) wey be GHC 900k ($67k), wia I neva go accept any moni from di state as allowance from dis emolument committee and parliament approval.”
Di First Lady add say “dis na personal decision wey I no want make dis mata distract di good work my husband don dey do for dis kontri.”
Wife of di VP, Samira Bawumia also announce say im also go refund all monies dem pay am as allowance since 2017.
Inside one statement wey im office release, Samira Bawumia tok say “I don consult wit di VP, na so I go refund all di moni I receive.”
In addition to dis “I no go accept any monies dem allocate to me”.
Even though di Supreme Court afta declaring di payment of di salary as unconstitutional and illegal, neva make any further orders, one of di plaintiffs tok say dem welcome di decision.
Counsel for MP Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, Nii Samoa Addo tok say despite di fact say di case travel for ova three years, “we applaud di court.”
“But wetin suppose happun afta dis ruling na frank discussion about wetin we want do wit di office of di first lady and dat of di VP wife, sake of goment still dey spend moni make dem take run dis offices.”
Nii Somoa Addo tok say na chief of staff dey budget for di running of dis two offices, so e dey critical say make di kontri come up wit legislation on di mata.
“As tins dey stand now, those two offices neva get legal backing, wia di state gatz to interrogate di mata once and for all,” Nii Somoa add.
Im further explain say “if we know wetin dis two offices dey do, dia benefit to di state den we fit legislate and give dem legal backing.”
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