Former president John Mahama has challenged government to disclosed the total amount he received as ex-gratia after leaving office.
The Bono Regional chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kwame Baffoe popularly known as Abronye DC, had alleged that the former president took GH¢14 million home as his ex-gratia in 2013.
However, a statement issued by Joyce Bawah Mogtari, special aide to former President Mahama strongly denied the allegation, daring government to provide evidence even though it was not any government official that made the claim.
“Fortunately, ex-gratia payments are a matter of public record and are available in the office of the Chief of Staff or the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.
“We challenge the office of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency to provide proof of the payment of any such amount and stop using idle miscreants among its ranks to spread falsehood.
“It will be surprising if any such payment had been made to the former President and has not been reflected in any of the numerous Auditor General’s reports presented to Parliament since 2013”, the stated added.
According to the statement, the office of former President Mahama became aware of “another false and scurrilous claim by a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, that former President Mahama “… took home the fattest ex-gratia of GH¢14 million in 2013…”
It appealed to Ghanaians to disregard what it said was a notorious fabrication.
“We urge the public to ignore the unintelligent rants of the said Kwame Baffoe who has gained notoriety for fabricating and propagating falsehood on behalf of Nana Akufo-Addo against John Mahama. His claims are false.
“President Mahama never took any such ex-gratia payment of GH¢14 million in 2013 or at any other time during his 25 years of distinguished public service.
“We know that it is a stock in trade of President Akufo-Addo and his cronies to launch a campaign of calumny and false allegations against the personality of President Mahama anytime they have their backs against the wall
“As usual, this latest falsehood is a failed decay to suppress the national discussions about the hardship Ghanaians are going through because of the clueless, inept hopeless incompetence and poor governance of the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia administration
“It is a porous response to John Mahama’s premise to urgently re-look and review issues related to the emoluments of Article 71 office holders including ex-gratia.
“We want to reiterate the points made by President Mahama recently that a next NDC Government will run an administration with a leaner government and far less ministers than Ghana has ever seen and ensure a cut in waste and exercise of frugality in everything government does.
“The NDC is also committed to the implementation of a review of the 1992 Constitution, which would among others, place a cap on the number of Supreme Court Justices and face the issue of Article 71 head on”, the statement concluded.
