Founder of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev Dr. Kwabena Opuni-frimpong
Rev Dr. Kwabena Opuni-frimpong, Founder of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa (ACAA) has urged politicians not to play politics with matters of integrity.
“Political leaders must be very careful how they throw subjects that hinge on integrity into the public domain because it serves no good to our national development,” he said.
With reference to the recent emoluments committee recommendation of paying salaries to first and second ladies, he advised politicians to deal with the matter based on principles and not emotions and political scores.
“No first or second lady, whether current or past has been cited for any wrongdoing in taking what the state has offered them,” he said. “Whether as allowances or salaries it’s neither here nor there to attempt to ask anyone to return such monies to the state’s coffers.
He added, “However, any of them based on personal conviction has the right to return or reject the offer”.
The former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana who said this in an interview with the GNA indicated that for the current first lady and second lady to return all allowances paid them due to public outcry was a matter of principle and integrity and therefore it would be wrong for politicians to call on past first and second ladies to do same.
He said as it stands, no court of jurisdiction had said any first or second lady had stolen money and so if due to public outcry some have returned same it was within their rights and commendable.
Dr. Opuni-frimpong called on politicians to be careful with such matters, adding that they opened the floodgates for insults and mistrust when they start the politicization of such sensitive national issues.
Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Mrs. Samira Bawumia have returned all allowances paid to them by the state from 2017, according to the government.
Before that, there was a huge public outcry on why spouses of the President and his vice who enjoyed all privileges with them should be paid salaries and even equivalent to that of Ministers of state.
Some leading politicians afterward have been calling on Former first and second ladies particularly Mrs. Lordina Mahama to return same.