Why didn’t you cut down your salary when Akufo-Addo did his? – NPP Communicator quizzes Mahama

A popular social media commentator of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), known as General Mohamed Buhari, says the former President is being dishonest when he said he will cut down government expenditure when given a second chance to become President.

The former President has called for reduction in government expenditures to save the country some money amid the economic challenges.

Mr. John Dramani Mahama during his official campaign launch at the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho on Thursday, March 2, said he will run a lean government.

"I shall assemble and operate the leanest but most efficient government under our fourth republic. We will reduce, significantly, the size of the government. As I announced in my Ghana We Want address at UPSA late last year, I will form a government of less than sixty (60) ministers and deputy ministers of state," he promised.

The aspiring NDC flagbearer said he will scrap the payment of an end-of-service allowance (ex-gratia), paid to Article 71 officeholders when elected again.

"The payment of ex-gratia to members of the executive will be scrapped. The necessary constitutional steps to take this will start in earnest in 2025. We will also persuade members of the other arms of government to accept its removal," said the former president.

Wading to the former president’s assertion, the ruling party’s communicator asked why Mr. Mahama couldn’t cut down his salary to cushion the state when President Akufo-Addo did.

He claimed that the 2020 NDC presidential candidate now takes more "fat" allowance than the president himself, indicating that until Mr. Mahama sacrifices part of it to the nation, no one will take him serious.

"We all want government to cut down expenditures, Nana has since July 2022 cut down his salary and that of appointees by 30%, which made John Dramani Mahama the highest allowance receiver, which is over Ghc42,000 monthly, while Nana receives around Ghc29,000, can JM cut his FAT allowance too to prove his point?" read his tweet sighted by Modernghana.