Presidential spousal salaries: ‘Armed robbers and thieves will soon lead Ghana’ – NPP Communicator

A communications team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Nyamah has lamented that the country will soon not have committed members to man public offices in the country.

According to him, people who are best qualified for positions in the country will walk away because of the harsh criticisms they suffer at the hands of Ghanaians.

“Very soon, armed robbers and thieves will lead the country…because they will tell you that they are not taking salaries but withdrawing huge allowances…,” he said on Anɔpa Bɔfoɔ on Tuesday.

Richard Nyamah said this while reacting to the public outcry against the payment of emoluments to presidential spouses in this country.

The first lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo following the public outcry has agreed to refund all allowances paid her since 2017.

In a statement issued on Monday 12 July 2021, the Office of the First Lady said: “… the public discussion has been laced with some extremely negative opinions, in some cases, which she finds distasteful, seeking to portray her as a venal, self-serving and self-centered woman, who does not care about the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian.

“In view of this, the First Lady, in consultation with the President of the Republic, has decided to refund all monies paid to her as allowances from the date of the President’s assumption of office, ie, from January 2017 to date, amounting to GHC899,097.84.

“The First Lady has also decided not to accept any monies that have been allocated to be paid to her pursuant to the recommendations of the Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee, as approved by Parliament,” the statement signed by Korkor Bleboo, director of communications in the Office of the Second Lady, said.

This decision, Richard Nyamah said will cause well-meaning Ghanaians to reject public office appointments allowing thieves to take over the country.