Prez spousal salaries: Man I thought had great ideas now down the periscope – Prof Lumumba on Akufo-Addo

Revered antigraft campaigner and Kenyan pan-Africanist, Prof Patrick Lumumba has been commenting about the administration of President Akufo-Addo.

The anti-corruption campaigner noted that he had high hopes for President Akufo-Addo as the latter was full of great ideas on how to transform the economy.

But reacting to the recommendation of the Prof Yaa Ntiamoah-Baidu led committee to have wives

Read full articleof the president and his vice to be paid salaries, Prof Lumumba had this to say:

“When I see Members of Parliament going to parliament and saying the President's wife deserves an allowance then I know the man whom I thought had great ideas is now down the periscope. That is my unfortunate verdict as I speak.”

The renowned pan-Africanist was speaking to reporter Maxwell Nkansah via Zoom and monitored by GhanaWeb.

Spouses of the president and his vice rejected the salary payments. First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo further refunded monies that had been paid her as allowances from the date of the President’s assumption of office i.e from January 2017 which amounted to GHS899,097.84.

This was after a nationwide outrage as several Ghanaians lambasted President Akufo-Addo and parliament for approving the terms.

Prof Lumumba further asserted that there appears to be a trend where ‘our’ leaders tend to “disappoint you very quickly” when you see good in them.

Referring to President Akufo-Addo, the director of the Kenya Anti-corruption Commission and Director of the Kenya School of Law intimated that,

"He started very well. He had ideas talking about industrialisation in every district, he said he will look for Ghana beyond aid. The rhetoric was right but now as I watch him consistently, I'm beginning to see a mismatch between rhetoric and action."