• The First and Second Ladies have rejected a move to formally pay them salaries

• The duo have cited public outcry over the issue as one of the major reasons for their position

• Government has been sued over the issue 

First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Second Lady Samira Bawumia have rejected a move to formally pay them salaries as per a recommendations of a presidential committee in emoluments.

Pro-government radio station Asaase FM reported the development on their website citing multiple inside sources at the presidency.

According to one of the cited sources, the presidential spouses, who have comunicated their decision to the presidency, cited two major reasons for their position on the matter.

That they had before the recommendation been carrying out duties connected to their respective offices without any established remuneration and also out of respect for the public outcry and outrage that the development has generated.

Yet another source stressed that the two ladies have underlined that they were in no way connected to the decisions reached by the Prof Yaa Ntiamoah-Baidu committee set up by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.

The duo are “uncomfortable about the disturbance the policy is causing, particularly in the political space. As a result, they are unwilling to accept the structured remuneration,” the report read in part.

Whiles taking note of the fact that Parliamenthad okayed the recommendations, the two ladies are not challenging the decision of the law making chamber but rather exercising the right to forgo the privilege, a source added.

President Akufo-Addo set up the committee to review emoluments due to Article office holders but a copy of the report sighted by GhanaWeb showed that recommendations had been made in respect of spouses of the president and vice president.

Rebecca Akufo-Addo‘s benefits

The committee report states that the First Lady enjoy same salary as a cabinet minister who is also a member of parliament.

The second lady on the other hand will at the end of every month get the same amount as a cabinet minister who is not a member of parliament.

The committee recommended an annual increment of salaries of all institutions under Article 71 of the constitution at a certain percentage.

Based on this metric, the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo was supposed to paid GHC24,996 monthly. This figure when multiplied by the 12 months of the year amounts to GHC299,952.

The amount increases slightly in 2018 with a monthly salary of GHC27,496 which in twelves months would give GHC329,952.

In 2019, her monthly salary is GHC30,246. A multiplication of same by 12 months will give you GHC362,952.

The monthly figure for the year 2020 is GHC33,270 which approximates GHC399,240 for the year.

The total amount of the figure accrued by the First Lady in the first term of the Akufo-Addo government is GH ¢1,392, 096.

Samira Bawumia’s figures

For the 12 months of 2017, the government of Ghana will pay a total of GH ¢296,016 to Samira Bawumia which when broken down will give on GH ¢24, 668. The figures goes a bit in 2018 with accumulated salary of GH ¢325, 608 for the year. A division of the number by the 12 months of the year will amount to GH ¢27,134.

In 2019, the Second Lady will be paid GH ¢29, 848 every month which when summed up by December equate to GH¢358,176. The 2020 figure is GH¢393, 984 which means that she would earn GH¢32,832.

A summation of Samira Bawumia’s salaries for the four years which make up the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration is GH¢ 1,373,784.

In essence, the state will pay GH¢2,765, 880 to the first and second ladies as salaries for the first term of their husbands’ reign.

It is worth noting that these are the committee’s recommended figures which were okayed by Parliament in 2019.

The implementation of the approved report has hit a snag as some minority MPs are questioning the constitutionality of the decision at the Supreme.

In a suit filed on Thursday, July 8, 2021, the MPs for South Dayi and Builsa South, Rockson Dafeamakpor and Clement Apaak respectively said that the committee went beyond its boundaries in roping in the payment of benefits of the first and second ladies in its work.