Crusading Guide: "Allocation of govt bungalow to 2nd lady not a problem!"

It is true that the 1992 Constitution does not make explicit provisions for how the spouses of sitting or former Presidents and Vice Presidents should be treated or catered for while the latter are in office or in retirement.

The 1992 Constitution, under Article 71(1) restricts itself to salaries and allowances payable, and the facilities, and privileges available to the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Members of Parliament, Chief Justice and other Justices of the Supreme Court of Judicature, the Auditor-General, the Chairman and Deputy Chairmen of the Electoral Commission, the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and his Deputies and the District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator.

Article 71(2) deals with salaries and allowances payable and the facilities available, to the President, the Vice-President, the Chairman and the other members of the Council of State; Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers.

The expenditure on this category of public officers is to be charged on the Consolidated Fund. While the expenditure on Article 71(1) beneficiaries shall be determined by the President, based on the recommendation of a Committee of not more than five persons appointed by the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State, the one for Article 71(2) beneficiaries shall be determined by Parliament on the recommendation of the Committee set up by the President as stipulated in Article 71(1).

However, in spite of the preceding constitutional provisions, historical records show that the State and past governments have had the policy of making provisions for the catering for the welfare of spouses of sitting and former Presidents and Vice-Presidents, particularly since 1993 when the 4th Republican democratic dispensation was inaugurated.

The evidence to this effect is seen in a August 16, 2000 letter authored and signed by Nana Ato Dadzie, then Chief of Staff, addressed to Mrs. Naa Naa Morkor Busia, wife of Dr. K.A. Busia, Prime Minister of the 2nd Republic of Ghana.

The letter under reference indicated that the President had approved proposals from the Greenstreet Committee on salaries and emoluments for some specified persons in accordance with Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution. It said, the proposals which had been endorsed by Parliament and the Council of State, include among other provisions:

*(A) “THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE AND PAYMENT OF APPROPRIATE STIPEND TO THE SPOUSES OF THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC DURING THEIR TENURE OF OFFICE.

*(B) “THE PROVISION OF ALLOWANCES AND THE PROPER UP KEEP OF THE SPOUSES OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE-PRESIDENT AS WELL AS SURVIVING SPOUSES OF EX-HEADS OF STATE. THIS INCLUDES PROVISION OF DOMESTIC STAFF, SECURITY AND TRANSPORTATION.

*(C) “ALLOWANCES IN RESPECT OF SPOUSES OF DECEASED EX-HEADS OF STATE ARE TO BE PAID SO LONG AS THEY REMAIN UNMARRIED”.

The August 16, 2000 letter added that the First and Second Ladies had accordingly been placed on an appropriate salary effective January 7, 1997.

“EACH BENEFICIARY SPOUSE OF AN EX-HEAD OF STATE RECEIVES THE AMOUNT OF ¢41,364,716.00 TO COVER THE PERIOD 7 JANUARY, 1997 TO MARCH 2000. PURSUANT TO THE ABOVE, CHEQUES HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY THE CONTROLLER AND ACCOUNTANT GENERAL TO ALL BENEFICIARIES THROUGH THE CHIEF OF STAFF”, emphasised Nana Ato Dadzie.

He underscored that “these emoluments will be correspondingly adjusted to reflect any general salary review during the period of payment”.

To facilitate the payment of the stipends, the First and Second Ladies together with the surviving spouses were to submit through the Chief of Staff (Ato Dadzie) to the Accountant-General the names of their banks and account numbers.

“CURRENTLY, THE CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE HAS PROCESSED AND PAID THE BENEFITS TO ALL THE BENEFICIARIES, WHO ARE NORMALLY RESIDENT IN GHANA. THE OTHERS ARE BEING CONTACTED”, disclosed Nana Ato Dadzie in his August 16, 2000 letter addressed to Naa Morkor Busia.

Significantly, this 'philosophy' (is) was reinforced by the Final Report of the Chinery Hesse Committee Report (December 2008).

On page 76 of the Chinery-Hesse Committee Report, it is posited that “given the fact that spouses of Presidents engage in official public business, playing an important role alongside the President, the Committee recommends that they be provided offices, appropriately staffed, on the advice of the Head of Civil Service, at the expense of the State, to facilitate this role”.

“THE COMMITTEE HAS TAKEN NOTE THAT CURRENTLY, SPOUSES OF SERVING PRESIDENTS AND VICE-PRESIDENTS AND SPOUSES OF DECEASED FORMER HEADS OF STATE AND VICE-PRESIDENTS ARE PAID ALLOWANCE EQUIVALENT TO THE EMOLUMENTS OF DEPUTY MINISTERS. THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT THIS PRACTICE BE CONTINUED, EXCEPT THAT, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SPECIAL POSITION OF THE SPOUSES OF A SERVING PRESIDENT, THAT PAYMENT SHOULD BE EQUIVALENT TO THAT OF A MINISTER”, articulated the Chinery-Hesse Committee Report.

It is within this historical context that the Research Desk of The New Crusading GUIDE views the unfolding saga surrounding the allocation of a Government bungalow to the current Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Mrs. Lordina Mahama.

MRS. MAHAMA, PER THE RECORDS, WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST SECOND LADY (SPOUSE OF A SITTING VICE-PRESIDENT) TO 'ENJOY' STATE FACILITIES AND PRIVILEGES MADE AVAILABLE BY THE STATE OR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY. THOSE FACILITIES AND PRIVILEGES RANGE FROM OFFICE ACCOMMODATION, RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES, STATE PROTOCOL PRIVILEGES TO PAYMENT OF STIPEND AMONG OTHERS. THE RECORDS SHOW THAT EITHER ALL OR SOME OF THESE FACILITIES AND PRIVILEGES WERE EXTENDED TO THE BENEFICIARY SPOUSES SINCE 2000 WITH RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT FROM 1997.

This paper's diligent checks have revealed that the Government bungalow (C2 (New) off 1st Circular Road) allocated to Mrs. Mahama as an office for her non-governmental organization (NGO) was(is) part of a fleet of bungalows/flats officially allocated to the office of the Vice-President for the use of the Presidential Staff working under that office. The bungalows under reference were exactly the same facilities which were occupied by Presidential staff who served the Vice-Presidency under the NPP Administration.

It is one of those officially designated 'Vice Presidential facilities' that have been allocated to the incumbent Second Lady of the Republic, Mrs. Lordina Mahama for her use for public charity and humanitarian work.

Vice President John Mahama presently lives in his private residence and his new status since January 7, 2009, has compelled his spouse (Lordina Mahama) to adjust into a new role in respect of invitations to carry out various public activities, including receiving distinguished guests such as queenmothers, spouses of ambassadors, directors of NGOs, orphanages, and other such visitors.

A governance analyst who spoke to The New Crusading GUIDE on condition of anonymity, said THERE WAS NOTHING INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THE ALLOCATION OF A GOVERNMENT BUNGALOW TO THE 2ND LADY OF THE REPUBLIC, AND CONTENDED THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, THE ALLOCATION IS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT IS STILL 'HOLED UP' IN HIS PRIVATE RESIDENCE WHERE IT WILL BE INCONVENIENT FOR HIS SPOUSE TO CONTINUE RECEIVING AUGUST VISITORS OF ALL SHAPES.

Our investigations also show that the entire furnishing of the office under reference was done by Lordina Mahama and financed from family resources.

Stay tuned…
Source: Research Desk, Crusading Guide newspaper