Some Presidential candidates of the 2020 general elections have shared their views on the controversial payment of salaries to the spouses of the President and his Vice President.
Parliament earlier this week approved a recommendation by a five-member parliamentary committee which was set up in June 2019 to look into the salaries and allowance for both Frist and Second Ladies.
This has caused a lot of mixed reactions among some section of the public who are kicking against the move.
We bring you an interview with some Presidential candidates in the last general elections who have expressed their views about the policy.
The founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) Kofi Akpaloo have stated that the decision taken by Parliament to pay the first and second ladies of Ghana is a call in the right direction.
He said, it’s well-deserving due to the daily activities undertaken by both ladies.
According to him, the wives of the President and vice president have to live good.
“It is well-deserving, they are working for the betterment of mother Ghana if Parliament has approved we at Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) are in total support. Mind you this initiative started from the former president J.A. Kuffour’s regime but was then called allowance and if now Parliament has approved it, I will say it is in the right direction because the spouses of both first and second gentleman of the land have to look good. This brouhaha going on is because we Ghanaians talk a lot and want to make politics out of everything, is not something that we Ghanaian have to channel our energy to”, he said.
On his part, the 2020 flagbearer of People’s Action Party, Kwesi Busumbru says the office of First and Second ladies is a ceremonial office that does not need salaries nor allowance.
He said the cash should rather be channelled to Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to purchase enough fire tenders to fight fire outbreaks in the country.
He further stated that Parliamentarians are very lousy and the biggest problem faced by the country. “Certain things must not be approved by the Parliament.”
“Where in this world that spouses of President is been put on payroll not ever in the USA the country we consider as the richest, Parliament supposed not approved on this because Parliament supposes to be two-sided, lower and upper where the decision will be authentically made not just approving anything. Currently, the country is confronted with a lot of challenges and that’s what we must channel our resources to. The youths are crying, government institutions lack the equipment to work; these things must be the priority of the parliamentarians not another way round”.
Rev. Dr. Christian Kwabena Andrew (Osofo Kyiriabosom) founder and leader of Ghana Union Movement (GUM) also said the money should be channelled to affordable housing for the youths.
He noted that the approval made by Parliament should be reversed.
“We wouldn’t have allowed Parliament to approve this if we are in power; because only voted for President and vice president, not spouses. It is the responsibility of every husband to provide for his wife. This is not done anywhere, at times it looks like our leaders want to take us for granted.
“In this current hardship where youths and everyone is crying over the economy, this is not the time to make such decisions, I prefer that money is invested in affordable housing purposely for the youths which government will be able to generate enough revenue and reinvest it for the betterment of the youths or better still use it to purchase fire tenders for the National Firs Service. We have a lot of crises which that money can be used to resolve so let’s have a second thought,” he explained.
Osofo Kyiriabosom, however, appealed to both First and Second Ladies to reject the allowance.
According to him, they won’t find blessings from accepting such monies especially in these current difficult times where people are sacrificing to bring back the economy.
