Private legal practitioner, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, has made a bold statement regarding the emoluments of the First and Second Ladies of Ghana.
According to him, the First Lady and Second Lady are not included in Article 71 of the Constitution, which outlines the emoluments for office holders.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight show, Addo emphasized that there is no legal basis for the salaries being paid to the First and Second Ladies. He highlighted that Article 71 does not cover these positions, therefore, the payment of salaries to them is unconstitutional.
This comes after a Supreme Court ruling declared the payment of salaries to the First and Second Ladies as illegal. The ruling came as a result of a suit filed by Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as ‘Abronye’, challenging the approval of salaries for the presidential spouses.
President Akufo-Addo had set up a committee led by Prof Ntiamoa-Baidu to recommend salaries, allowances, and privileges for Article 71 officeholders. However, this committee’s recommendations were met with legal challenges from individuals like Abronye and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor.
The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed most of the reliefs sought by Dafeamekpor, who focused on the committee’s recommendations. The court also rejected the claims made by Abronye regarding the actions of Parliament in approving the salaries for the First and Second Ladies.
Overall, the ruling by the Supreme Court has brought clarity on the issue of salaries for the presidential spouses, highlighting the need for legal backing in such matters.
