Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has revealed that he’s yet to be paid his ex-gratia which was approved by Parliament ten years after he exited office.
The 80 year old former Leader whose tenure in office saw huge economic development in the country in an interview with Joy FM stated that he’s yet to push for the payment almost two years after his own New Patriotic Party (NPP) assumed power.
“…the so called ex-gratia? I haven’t been paid ex gratia. You’ll remember that Mrs Chinnery Hesse’s report suggested ex gratia and in fact it was approved by Parliament even thought it was the last days but the administration that took over from me pretended there had not been any such approval. Later, some members of the administration, I’ll cite Mr Bagbin when he was being vetted in Parliament was put that question and he said it was approved. If it was approved by Parliament then automatically there shouldn’t have been any question that I should have been paid, but somehow [may he rest in peace] Prof. Mills appointed Yamson Committee and later changed to Prof. Ewurama Addy Committee so nothing was paid regularly as ex gratia but I don’t worry.”
In January 2010, late President John Evans Atta Mills officially announced that his administration had finally paid former President John Agyekum Kufuor and Members of Parliament in the previous legislature, their gratuity or ex-gratia.
Answering questions from journalists at the Castle Gardens, Osu, on the protracted and controversial issue, President Mills indicated that the payments were made based on the recommendations of the Ishmael Yamson Committee, which he set up to review the Chinery-Hesse Committee report on ex-gratia for public office holders under Article 71 of the Constitution during the previous administration.
However, spokesperson for former President Kufuor, Frank Agyekum, denied any payment of gratuity to his boss.
He explained that last December, an accountant from the Parliament House brought a cheque for an amount of GH¢97,000 issued in the name of President Kufuor to the former President’s residence.
According to him, when former President Kufuor asked what the amount was meant for, the accountant could not explain but just said it was his ex-gratia.
The former President, he added, inquired if it was payment based on the Chinery-Hesse, Greenstreet or Ishmael Yamson reports, as the gratuity was a package comprising not only cash but offices, staff payment and vehicles.
Mr. Agyekum said further checks from the Chief of Staff, John Martey Newman, to clarify the issue, were unsuccessful as he never got back to former President Kufuor to explain what the cheque was meant for.
“The former President therefore asked the accountant to return the cheque as it was not accompanied by any explanatory letter, indicating what the payment was meant for,” Mr. Agyekum disclosed, further confirming that former President Kufuor had actually not received any gratuity, 12 long months after leaving office.
President Mills set up the Yamson Committee following agitations by politically contrived groups like the Committee for Joint Action (CJA), led by agitator-general, Kwesi Pratt, against conventional wisdom to slash the ex-gratia of the MPs who served in the Fourth Parliament between 2005 and January 6, 2009, and former President Kufuor, as contained in the Chinery-Hesse Committee report and approved by the executive and legislature respectively.
President Mills’ action was described by some political analysts as populist and without legal foundation.
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What kind of huge economic development in the country. and we are still here wallowing in poverty, please wise up Ghanaians.
If Ex-President Kuffour has not been paid ex-gratia why Ex-president Mahama crying sometime ago about his exgratia.
All that Kufuor is trying to say is that he did not steell the the people's money. You formed the EO group to steell 4% percent of our oil money. At your age what at all do you need money for?
Please Mr Presdo dont pay Mr incompetent-one ex-gratia but pay H.E Kuffour 1st and let Mr incompetent too stay for 10yrs and feel the heat
All is ***barred word***, his part is in power so thieeef as he was, and hotel waawaa money is getting to finish, he was trying to get some criiminal from his part to foot those bills, so that when that is done no one could question him, what a shaaamee?
Mahamah is a wicked man and pretends to be good. You never paid this man but you took your own when you left power. God will deal with you Mahamah.
This is a politically spiced article. He is lucky to survive till today because the ordinary civil servant would die out of hunger by now if treated the same way. Could it be that you stole enough to keep you your lifetime?
Upon all your ***barred word*** you want EX GRATIA TOO??!! ***barred word*** LOOTERS!!! Waa Waa hotel is your ex gratia!
It serves you right for making Nana lose the 2008 election. You gave Atta-Mills an award; Nana would have continued with your good work but now you don't have a legacy.Ghana would have been a better place by now. Don't worry about ex-gratia; you have enough from the oil deal to last you till you reach 100 years
naf, the economy your party used 8 years to destroy is so huge even mount Everest doesn't come, nation wrecker and anti-Ghana element like you are the cause of incompetent ones like Mahama and his gang of Ali Baba and the 40 thie*ves got the chance to destroy and put us in this mess you want the NPP you hate because of power to use 2 years to fix your 8 us*eless years of destruction. You people have no shame else you wouldn't even come here to comment.Joyce Bawa should come out to explain why they also shouldn't be given the same dose they gave to others but they are crying for not receiving what they refuses and failed to give others! ndc Onyame betua moka papa!