First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Second Lady, Samira Bawumia
Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah says their statement condemning payment of salaries to the spouses of the 1st and 2nd ladies is based on facts.
He noted that as a Congress, they are not ready to condone any wrongdoings even if it is a recommendation from the emolument committee. “We don’t just come out and make guesses but we speak based on fact. We don’t and will not glorify wrongdoings.”
According to him, the spouses of the President and Vice are not article 71 officeholders and if the committee wants them to be paid monthly salaries, “then the Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee must spell out roles, responsibilities, and conditions of service for them just like they do any ordinary Ghanaian worker.”
Although the TUC is highly appreciative of the work done by the spouses of the president and his vice, he believes they should be paid allowances only. “We can’t pay them salaries because it is wrong. What is wrong is wrong and we don’t need to pass this into law. If they really want to pay the 1st and 2nd ladies, then they should be assigned roles.”
Speaking in an interview on Happy98.9FM’s Epa Hoa Daben political talk show, Joshua Ansah reiterated, “There is a vast difference between salaries and allowances. Salaries must be based on something you have done. If they want us to pay the 1st and 2nd ladies, then let us situate it well and pay them these salaries after their roles have been assigned to them.”
“We want Ghanaians to understand that it is illegal, unconstitutional and must not be entertained if the 1st and 2nd ladies want to be paid for no work done or when no roles have been assigned them.”
The Union hopes the president will take a quick decision on the matter and address the concerns of Ghanaians.
Background:
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), has also rejected the Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee’s recommendation for wives of Presidents and Vice Presidents to be paid monthly salaries.
The group insists the spouses have not been assigned any specific roles in the constitution and “therefore, they are not qualified to receive salaries from the public purse.”
According to the TUC, even though Ghanaians appreciate the efforts of the First and Second ladies, the constitution does not assign any official responsibilities to them.
And thus, any payment salaries to them is “simply not right.”
“Ghanaians appreciate what the first and second ladies are doing to support women’s rights, children’s rights, and other noble initiatives towards social and economic development of our country. But neither the Constitution of Ghana nor the laws of the 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 rationalize or regularize allowances that were being paid already, hence its recommendation to convert such allowances into salaries.
But you cannot regularize or rationalize the payment of salaries which have no basis.”