Halt payment of salaries for Presidential spouses -TUC

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called for an immediate stop to the payment of salaries to the spouses of President Akufo-Addo and his Vice Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

 “Salary arrears dated back to January 2017 have since been paid to the wives of President Akufo-Addo and Vice president Bawumia, in accordance with the Committee’s recommendation which was approved by NDC and NPP members of Parliament”, it said in a press statement signed by the Union’s Secretary-General, Dr Yaw Baah on Sunday, July 11, 2021.

He said there is no legal basis for such payments, adding that although Ghanaians appreciate the roles played by the first and second ladies, it is not right to put them on salaries on the scale of a cabinet minister.

The TUC said, “Ghanaians appreciate what the first and second ladies are doing to support women’s rights, child rights, and other noble initiatives towards social and economic development of our country. But neither the Constitution of Ghana nor the laws of land assign them any official duties and responsibilities.

“Therefore the Trades Union Congress cannot support the payment of salaries to the spouses of presidents and vice presidents even if the Ntiamoa – Baidu’s Committee recommended the payment of such salaries. It is simply not right for anyone who has not been officially assigned duties and responsibilities in the public service to receive monthly salaries. The committee probably sought to regularize the payment of allowances which were being paid already. But you cannot regularise the payment of allowances which has no legal basis”.

“When the time comes for the spouses of presidents and vice presidents to be assigned official duties and responsibilities that will qualify them to receive salaries for taxpayers’ money the executive arm of government should remember the spouses of the speakers of parliament (the heads of the legislature arm of government) and the spouses of Chief Justices (the heads of the judiciary arms of government. They can also perform some official duties”, TUC added.

Read the statement below: