First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo has been dominating discussions on Twitter and Facebook since late Monday evening after a statement announcing her decision to refund all allowances paid her from the public purse.
In the July 12, 2021 statement, the First Lady said she has decided to refund all monies paid to her as allowances from the date of the President’s assumption of office, i.e., from January 2017 to date, amounting to GH¢899,097.84, or about $152,000.
She has also declined the offer to be paid allowances and salaries as recommended by the Prof Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee on Emoluments for Article 71 officeholders.
The move by the First Lady follows public furore over revelations that the spouses of Ghana's President and Vice President have, by convention, been receiving cabinet minister-level salaries from the public purse.
In a bid to regularise this convention, the Ntiamoah-Baidu committee recommended that monthly allowances and heavily discounted car loans be offered to the spouses.
The recommendations have since been endorsed by Parliament.
However, after widespread opposition and criticism from academics, civil society and labour groups, the First Lady has offered to reject the recommendations of the committee.
Many of the critics believe the payments were and the recommendations to formalise them flout the Constitution. Others, however, backed the Ntiamoa-Baidu committee recommendation.
The First Lady has however clarified that her decision is purely personal and is without prejudice to the rights of others.
She also said her decision is not meant to undermine the propriety of the process undertaken by Parliament.
“The First Lady does not want these matters to serve as a distraction from the good work of the President…†the statement explained.
Since the letter was released on Monday evening, many Ghanaians have commended the First Lady, with some asking if the wife of the Vice President, Samira Bawumia and past spouses of Presidents and Vice Presidents who have benefited from the existing convention would also refund the allowances paid to them.
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Others suggest that instead of refunding the money, she could have started a nationwide social project.
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The Tweeps were hard-hitting in many instances. Some tweets suggested that the First Lady’s decision is due to public shame.
Respectable Lordina Mahama won’t refund any allowance paid to her in the past as First Lady,she was due.
— KOJO DYNAMIC 𓃵 (@AnnanPerry) July 12, 2021
Rebecca Akufo Addo is only refunding hers due to shame and clouts.
When you take something from pot A, meant for pot B and put it back in pot A, you have not refunded anything! You only caused a "transfer".
— Guure Brown Guure (@GbGuure) July 13, 2021
The money the First Lady will refund they should use it to pay the nabco people. Even if it’s only 10 people the money will pay they should use it to pay them cos that money if she returns it the money will return back to her one way or the other 😒
— KALYJAY (@gyaigyimii) July 13, 2021
Ghanaians bullied the First Lady to reject the monthly allowance allocated to her, it’s her constitutional right and i think she rejecting it was wrong.
— Saada 🇬🇭 🐬 (@daddys_girltn) July 12, 2021
The payment in the first place is unconstitutional.
— J Cole (@amoah95mathew95) July 12, 2021
The rejection is a ploy of a call out. It legitimises for others who had enjoyed it in the past to render such a standard she has exhibited for 🇬🇭's wld demand of them as well.
— MAL DEEDAT (@malan_nuh) July 13, 2021
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