“JOHN THE LIAR”… You Couldn’t Even Persuade Your Wife To Return Allowance But Claim You Will Scrap Ex-gratia- Chairman Wontumi

Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako has described former President John Mahama as a "liar" for saying he will stop paying ex-gratia if re-elected in 2024.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) described Mr Mahama's statement as "empty" and "falsehoods" concocted to deceive voters who don't pay attention to the facts and the messenger.

Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, a.k.a Chairman Wontumi, in an interview with Wontumionline.com shortly after monitoring the launch of Mr Mahama's campaign to become the flagbearer of the NDC on Thursday, said the irony of Mr Mahama's promise was that he had failed to convince his wife to follow the current First and Second Lady in returning the allowances paid to them to the coffers of the state.

"John Mahama is a liar and all the things he is saying about the elections are lies. This is a hideout where he made ex gratia promises to Ghanaians, but not long ago, his wife failed to act responsibly by hoarding state benefits paid into her accounts. But today, he wants to be flagbearer and he is promising his party supporters something delicate about eliminating ex-gratia," Chairman Wontumi stated. "John the liar failed to see this and persuade them to return the money.”

If he runs again, former President John Dramani Mahama has vowed to abolish the ex-gratia retirement benefits given to executive office holders under Article 71.

He claims that in the first year of his presidency, his government will initiate the constitutional procedures to abolish the ex-gratia payments.

“Ex-gratia payments to the executive under Article 71 will no longer be made. And in 2025, the constitutional measures necessary to abolish this payment will officially begin.”

He added: "We will also begin the process of persuading the other branches of government, other than the executive, to agree to the abolition of this ex-gratia payment.”