Ghanaian lawyer, Theophilus Donkor, has warned that the government will be setting a bad precedent by paying salaries to presidential spouses.
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He reasoned that if left unchecked, other government appointees will demand salaries and allowances for their spouses.
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Speaking to Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, he stated: “If we are not careful, very soon when an MP dies, it will be normal that his partner takes over his position. We will also hear of MPs’ partners asking for salaries and allowances”.
According to Lawyer Theophilus Donkor, the committee and parliament are engaging in illegality as presidential spouses do not qualify as officeholders specified in Article 71.
He believes that the payment of an allowance for presidential spouses is only short-changing Ghanaians.
The spouses of the President and Vice President will from now onward officially enjoy salaries from the Government of Ghana.
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This was after the government adopted a recommendation by an emolument committee which was approved by the seventh parliament.
The new arrangement will see the spouses of the first and second gentlemen officially being paid salaries which is a departure from the previous practice of paying them allowances.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah