Ghana’s First Lady Rejects Allowances, Offers to Refund Over KES. 16.4M

Ghana’s First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo has refused to be paid allowances and has decided to refund all monies paid to her from the date of the President’s assumption of office, January 2017 to date

Her decision to refund the money, which totals GH¢899,097.84 (approximately 16.4 million shillings) goes against the recommendations of the country’s Presidential Committee. The committee had recommended that the First Lady should be paid a salary equivalent to a Cabinet Minister who is a Member of Parliament (MP) while her husband is in office.

The recommendations also stated that if a First Lady’s spouse served one full term as president, she should be paid a salary equivalent to 80 percent of the salary of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament (MP); or 100 percent of the salary of a Minister of State who is a Member of Parliament (MP) if the spouse served two or more full terms as President.

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How such allocations would be made sparked concerns from the general public, something the First Lady termed as distasteful and seeking to portray her as “a venal, self-serving and self-centered woman” who is insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Akufo-Addo indicated that her decision to refuse the offer is a personal one “without prejudice to the rights of others and does not undermine the propriety of the process undertaken by Parliament.”

She further added that she will continue to support her husband in the execution of his mandate as President to ensure the development of the country.

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“The First Lady will continue to support the President, as she has always done, in the execution of the mandate entrusted to him by the good people of Ghana,” read the statement.