Former President John Agyekum Kufuor and his staff have not been paid salaries as required by the constitution after three years of peacefully handing over power to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Frank Agyekum, the spokesperson of Kufuor, told Citi Eyewitness News on Monday that his boss is “unhappy” with the situation, but has remained mum because he does not want to ruin his relationship with government.
Meanwhile, ex-president Kufuor has also rejected keys to a posh mansion at the Trasacco Valley Estates being offered him by the government, according to Mr. Agyekum.
The news is following on the heels of former president J. J Rawlings’ decision to also refuse a temporary mansion at the same venue.
Mr. Agyekum said former president Kufuor rejected the keys to the mansion that was presented to them four weeks ago, because their input has not been adequately taken and surprisingly they “don’t even know the location of the house and what went into the building construction. ”
“About four weeks ago, he [Kufuor] had communication from government plus a set of keys that a mansion at Trasacco Valley has been allocated to him,” Mr. Agyekum told Citi FM. “The former president has earlier hinted that even as construction was going on he would love to see what was been done so that he could give an input as to specification he wants, but nothing of that happened. ”
“He does not even know the location of the house, what went into the building, he had no input at all as to the mansion that has been constructed. Base upon that he has sent indications to government that he was unhappy and unwilling to accept the mansion. ”
He disclosed that apart from two vehicles that were given to the former president’s office nothing has so far come from government.
Mr Agyekum added: “Government has offered to him a temporary office accommodation which he has accepted. With this temporary accommodation the government took him to see the property and saw it as good and gave a few specifications as to what should be done and government has done it.
“Also, a permanent office accommodation is being done for him, in that case as well, government took him to see the location in which the office was going to be located and asked for his specifications, which he did. So then it beats our imagination to see that where his residential accommodation is supposed to be his involvement was not sorted at all. ”
He stressed that government has only paid the former president his end of service benefit.
“The salaries for staff are still not being paid… Benefits in terms of ex-gratia has been paid to the former president … but in terms of the regular salary due him they are not been done as yet. We talk and they say this week, next week and that’s where we are at the moment,” Mr. Agyekum opined.
Source: citifmonline.com