Information reaching Thinknewsonline.com indicates that the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo has rejected allowances and has decided to refund all public funds already paid to her since the assumption of office in 2017.
According to the office of the First Lady, Madam Rebecca has also decided not to accept any monies that have been allocated to be paid to her pursuant to the recommendation of the Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee as approved by Parliament.
In a communique signed by the Director of Communications at the office of the First Lady, Korkor Bleboo, it said "In view of this, the First Lady, in consultation with the President of the Republic, has decided to refund all 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 GHc899,097.84"
It hinted that the attention of the First Lady was drawn to the recommendations of the Committee established pursuant to Article 71 of the Constitution (the Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee) which among other things, seek to regularise the payment of allowances to the spouses of the current President and Vice President.
It is emerging that Former Heads of State, Presidents, and Vice Presidents, respectively were not left out as part of the privileges due to the President and Vice President under Article 71 of the Constitution.
"It is important to state that payment of such allowances existed and was made to previous First Ladies in the course of the 4th Republic, prior to Mrs. Akufo-Addo becoming the First Lady. Mrs. Akufo-Addo did not request to be paid any allowances. She only received that which existed and attached to her status, albeit informally" it added.
The statement further noted that the rejection is purely her personal decision without prejudice to the rights of others and not to undermine the propriety of the process undertaken by Parliament.
Below are copies of the release:
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith