Ghanaian politicians and managers of the economy must consider the well-being of the citizenry and prioritise that in policy formulation, decision-takings and implementations in the governance of the country.
The interest of the public outweighs decisions such as the payment of allowances and salaries of First and Second Ladies, Mr. Michael Asare Yeboah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of McKenzie Ghana Limited, a clothing and sportswear company asserted in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Thursday in Sunyani.
He observed that Ghanaians’ reactions to the recent emoluments for the country’s first and second ladies’ salaries and allowances saga was because successive governments probably failed to put premium on public interest in certain decisions that should have impacted positively on the welfare of the people but was never so.
According to him, looking at the crisis in this COVID-19 era, which had brought more socio-economic hardships and worsen livelihoods of families and individuals in the country, if there were extra monies for payment of first and second ladies’ salaries, it should rather be used for what would benefit the Ghanaian citizens to ease their hardships.
Mr. Yeboah said the masses had realised state resources were not being used judiciously by successive governments, hence, the heightening economic hardship despite the abundant natural resources of the country.
He noted that though allowances for the first and second spouses had been in existence since the advent of the Fourth Republic, “it is enough, fair and very sacrificial for national interest if they would earn salaries through their actual professional works, if not they must depend on their husbands for socio-economic survival”.
In a related interview, Nana Akomea Sakyi, the Secretary to the Sunyani Youth Development Association commended Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Mrs. Samira Bawumia, the First and Second Ladies respectively for their bold decisions to refund all allowances paid them since 2017.
Nana Sakyi pleaded with the public to stop comments of “crucifixion and bastardization” because they were not the first to receive such allowances.
“The state should discontinue payments of allowances to such personalities, they must be paid any emoluments from their own businesses and not from public purse,” he reiterated.
According to Nana Sakyi “Presidents and Vice-Presidents spouses are not supposed to be on government’s pay roll because it is not enshrined in the 1992 constitution,” adding that “I’m not against allowances though, it should be paid to individuals who really needs it for survival”.
GNA