Criticizing Akufo-Addo for spouses allowance is a sign of ignorance

Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, Dr Kingsley Nyarko, has asked Ghanaians to stop criticizing President Akufo-Addo for presidential spouses receiving allowances.

He argued that the presidential spouses allowance was introduced by former President John Kuffour and is only to be institutionalized as monthly salary for them.

Dr Kingsley Nyarko argues some policy think-tanks are misleading the Ghanaian populace on the issue, hence, causing the masses to blame President Akufo-Addo for the already existing policy.

He shared these thoughts during an interview with Happy FM’s Don Prah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show.

“The President didn’t order the payment of the spouses’ allowance. We all know that the recommendation that was approved by the parliament. The 7th parliament approved it. All past spouses of presidents still take allowance every month. So what the committee has done was to institutionalize it. This is nothing new.

I don’t see anything wrong with what is going on”.

According to him, spouses of the Presidents deserve the allowances given to them because of the role they play in the country’s development.

“The spouses of the Presidents have work they do as they work alongside the Presidents when they travel. They have responsibilities”, he added.

The spouses of the President and Vice President will from now onward officially enjoy salaries from the Government of Ghana.

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.