First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo has "decided not to accept any monies that have been allocated to be paid to her pursuant to the recommendations of the Ntiamoa-Badu Committee, as approved by Parliament".

The committee had recommended that the First Lady be paid a salary equivalent to 80% as a cabinet minister who is also a member of Parliament.

Meanwhile, Parliament has approved that the wives of the President and Vice President should receive salaries.

This recommendation has, however, generated fury and an avalanche of criticism against the ruling government.

Mahama's take

In an article on his Facebook page, former President John Mahama described as 'problematic' "an attempt to sneak the First and Second Ladies into the article 71 office holders’ group"

According to him, the challenge is that the spouses of the President and Vice President are not captured among Article 71 Office Holders and, therefore, there is no legal or constitutional basis for it.

"It should be noted that the recommended salaries for the Spouses in the Ntiamoa-Baidu report are captured as part of the emoluments of the President and the Vice President. This seems like an attempt to sneak the First and Second Ladies into the article 71 office holders’ group. This is clearly problematic".

1st Lady's decision to refund

In a statement dated 12th July 2021, the 1st Lady described the “extremely negative opinions”  from critics which is seeking to portray her as a “self-serving and self-centered woman” as "distasteful”.

In view of this, she "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 GH¢899,097.84.”

"She is doing this as a purely personal decision, without prejudice to the rights of others, and not to undermine the propriety of the process undertaken by Parliament" the statement added.

Read the full statement below