The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo has rejected all allowances due her and decided to refund sums paid since 2017.

The decision follows what Mrs Akufo-Addo describes as "some extremely negative opinions, in some cases, which she finds distasteful, seeking to portray her as a venal, self-serving and self-centred woman, who does not care about the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian".

The First Lady in a statement said she has decided to refund to the state, all the monies paid her since 2017, which amounts to GH¢899,097.84.

“The First Lady, in consultation with the President of the Republic, has decided to refund all the 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 GHS899,097.84,” the statement said.

“The First Lady has also decided not to accept any monies that have been allocated to be paid to her, pursuant to the recommendations of the Ntiamoa-Baidu committee, as approved by Parliament. She is doing this as a purely personal decision, without prejudice to the rights of others, and not to undermine the propriety of the process undertaken by Parliament.”

Mrs Akufo-Addo said she did not request to be paid any allowance, adding that “she only received that which existed and [was] attached to her status, albeit informally.”

Background

The First Lady’s decision follows the public debate over the Parliamentary approval of a recommendation for the First and Second Ladies to receive monthly salaries.

The recommendations were made by the five-member Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee set up in June 2019 by President Nana Akufo-Addo to make recommendations on the salaries and other gratuities of Article 71 officeholders.

Lawsuits challenging allowances for presidential spouses

Meanwhile, two separate legal actions have been initiated at the Supreme Court challenging Parliament’s approval of salaries for the spouses of the President and the Vice President.

The first was filed by two National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) — Mr Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, South Dayi, and Dr Clement Apaak, Builsa South, while the second was filed by the Bono Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye DC.

The legislators, who have been joined in the suit by one Frederick Nii Commey, are seeking eight reliefs from the Supreme Court.

Plaintiffs are yet to file their statement of case explaining the basis of their case.