Togbe Afede’s Ex-Gratia Populism is Needless: Razak Kojo Opoku Writes

Togbe Afede’s Ex-Gratia Populism is Needless: Razak Kojo Opoku Writes

Ex-gratia just like Pension is calculated on the basis of monthly salaries. So where lies the consistency if Togbe Afede gladly received his salaries, SUV Vehicle, allowance and other privileges for the part-time work he did as a member of the Council of State?

Why should Togbe Afede, who has a strong general abhorrence towards the payment of outrageous benefits to people who have on their own volition offered to serve our poor country, be receiving salaries, allowances, SUV Vehicle, and other privileges for just a part-time work?

I want to put to Togbe Afede that, the total amount of Salaries, SUV Vehicle, Allowances and other privileges he received as a part-time worker of the Council of State may be far above the GHS 365, 392.67 that he has rejected as ex-gratia.

If not for mischief and populism, how come Togbe Afede did not reject those benefits as a part-time member of the Council of State?

If Togbe Afede really means well for his subjects, he would have used the ex-gratia money, GHS 365, 392.67 to set up a Scholarship Scheme, construct a school, market or hospital for the people of the Asogli State instead of rejecting it out of political mischief and populism.

As Co-Chairman of Africa World Airlines Limited, Chairman of Pioneer Kitchenware Limited, SAS Investment Management Limited etc. what is GHS 365,392.67 to you?

Again, Ghanaians would like to know if you ever advised the Council of State on the issues of ex-gratia and its effects on the national purse?

We also never heard you speaking against ex-gratia under Rawlings, Mills and Mahama’s Governments.

Even as the President of the National House of Chiefs, we never heard you advocating against ex- gratia, so why this hypocritical rejection of the ex-gratia which is backed by law?

Was your intention to make the NPP Government and other Members of the Council of State unpopular and look bad in the eyes of the general public and international community?

I would like to ask Togbe Afede the following questions:

1. When will he return to the State coffers all the sitting allowances and other benefits he received as a Board Member of the Bank of Ghana between 2003-2013?

Ghanaians are demanding for the 10-year-benefit he enjoyed as a Board Member of the Bank of Ghana.

2. When will he return to the State coffers the sitting allowances and other privileges he received as a Board Chairman for the National Investment Bank(NIB) under John Mahama’s Government?

3. When will he return to the State coffers the sitting allowances and other privileges he received as a Board Chairman between 2017-2019 under Akufo-Addo’s Government?

Ghanaians are demanding a refund because the role of a Board Chairman is equally a ‘part-time work’.

4. When will he return to the State coffers, the monies and privileges that were paid to him as the President of the National House of Chiefs?

Consistency is key and Togbe Afede over the years has not demonstrated that key attribute. He seems too partisan and populist against the NPP government, the same NPP government that appointed him as a Board Member of Bank of Ghana and Board Chairman for NIB.

If ex-gratia is NOT good let’s look at it from the perspective of nationalism and avoid the needless populist approach.

If not for evil intentions, why should Togbe Afede be embarrassing other Members of the Council of State?