Two Members of Parliament (MP’s) have dragged the Attorney General to the Supreme Court over Parliament’s approval of salaries for the spouses of the President and Vice President.
The MPs are Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor of South Dayi and Dr Clement Apaak of Builsa South.
They are joined by one Frederick Nii Commey.
The trio wants the court to declare as unconstitutional, null and void the approval of salaries and allowances for the spouses of the First Lady and the wife of the Vice President.
But Patrick Yaw Boamah, MP for Okaikwei Central disagrees, indicating that the first and second ladies of the Republic deserve to be remunerated because they perform priceless functions.
According to him, they perform serious duties for the state that contribute to the development.
He described public agitation on the government’s decision to formally put the spouses of the President and the Vice on an official payment scale as propaganda.
“I’m sure somebody somewhere wanted to ‘Fix the country’ with some propaganda so the best way is to resurrect something that has always been there,” he stated.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Publisher last Wednesday, Hon. Patrick Boamah argued the public should rather approach the matter from the value these two bring to the country.
The small tokens they receive, he said, should not be the subject of the discussion but how they contribute to the development of the country and the well-being of the people, especially the vulnerable in society.
Their contributions and what they bring to the table, he said, should guide this debate and not the monetary aspect.
“Look at what Mrs. Rawlings did; look at what Mrs. Kufuor did; look at what Mrs. Atta-Mills did; look at what Mrs. Mahama did and look at what Mrs. Akufo-Addo is doing. Can you imagine a female president not supporting the husband to help achieve a certain aspect of the nation’s needs or his ambitions in the health or education sector,” he quizzed?
“The world has gotten to appreciate their roles and it is not only in Ghana. ECOWAS First Ladies, African First Ladies. And when they go to the United Nations, their spouses are there and they hold different sessions for them so that they can also contribute a certain important quota to the development of their respective countries and the world at large,” he said.
However, in court, the two NDC MPs want “A further declaration that the recommendations of the Committee, to the extent that it pertains to the 1st Lady and the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, are null, void and of no effect.”
The MPs also want a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee appointed by the President under Article 71(1), only had jurisdiction to make recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of Article 71 office holders under the 1992 Constitution.
They seek a further declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Prof Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee had no jurisdiction, mandate or authority to make any recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of persons other than persons specified under Article 71 of 1992 Constitution.
Lawyers of the MPs want a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution, the Prof Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee exceeded its jurisdiction, mandate and authority when it purported to make recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the 1st Lady and the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana.
“A further declaration that the recommendations of the Committee, to the extent that it pertains to the 1st Lady and the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, are null, void and of no effect.”
The Statement of case further stated “A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of the Constitution, 1992, spouses of the President and the Vice President are not Article 71 office holders for the purposes of receipt of wages and emoluments” and “An order declaring the recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the 1st Lady and the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana as unconstitutional and void.”
Aside from this, the Plaintiff wants the court to issue an order tying the hands of the president or anyone acting on his behalf or on his authority from executing the recommendations.
“An order restraining the President of the Republic of Ghana or any other arm, ministry, department or agency of the Executive, from implementing any recommendations of the Prof Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee which pertains to the 1st Lady and the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana.”
GNA
