The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli state, Togbe Afede XIV, says, he will still reject any ex-gratia paid him for serving on the Council of State between 2017 and 2020 given the economic situation the country finds itself.
According to the revered chief, corruption has long bedeviled the development of African countries, with Ghana being no exception
Speaking at a youth empowerment forum and anti-corruption day celebration ahead of the celebration of this year’s Asogli Yam Festival, at Asogli Palace in Ho, the revered chief noted that, he would reject any ex-gratia again if the opportunity presents itself.
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“I returned the ex-gratia amount I was given not because I didn’t need the money, in fact at that particular time I needed money very badly to meet various family obligations. But I truly believe that money was not deserved”.
He also clarified that, he was one of the “most active participants at the council of state and registered as a resident of Accra and not Ho and never had any transport allowance”.
“Yes, I will do it again [reject ex-gratia], because our country is a very poor country so anybody who sacrifices or who has offered to voluntarily work for this country must be very considerate”.
“The constitution allows certain payments to Article 71 office holders but yet the constitution was not very definitive as to the quantum of those payments which means a committee must be created to determine the amount to be paid. And the committee when set up in the future must do a better job”.
Togbe Afede in June this year rejected over GH¢365,000 ex-gratia paid him for serving on the Council of State between 2017 and 2020.
Togbe Afede said he finds it inappropriate to receive the said amount when he already took monthly salaries for serving on the Council.
Togbe Afede XIV in a statement said, “I did not think the payment was made to trap me, as is being speculated. I believe it was paid to everybody who served on the Council of State. However, I thought that extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work, for which I received a monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges.”
“So, I was very uncomfortable with it,” Togbe Afede added.
According to him, he explored avenues to return the money which hit his account in July 2021, which he successfully effected on March 4, 2022, adding that “after weeks of trying, I obtained advice on how to refund inappropriate payments to the State, and on March 4, 2022, I made the refund into the Controller & Accountant General’s Department Account at the Bank of Ghana.”
“I want to add that my rejection of the payment was consistent with my general abhorrence of the payment of huge ex-gratia and other outrageous benefits to people who have by their own volition offered to serve our poor country,” the statement concluded.
