Ghanaians blast Mahama over jumbo pay

The quantum of the pay rise has attracted an intense outcry from a broad section of the Ghanaian populace.

Some visibly agitated commentators argued that public office holders were obliged to serve the people, and not the other way round, hence they did not merit the increase under such acute economic conditions.

Even some legislators disapproved of the recent pay hikes. Samia Nkrumah, MP for the Jomoro, was recently peeved with the increase in the pay of MPs, saying she would reject it.

Secretary of the anti-corruption advocacy group, Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Vitus Azeem, complained that the country’s economy could not absorb the raise.

“What is the general salary level of public servants in the country, you need to look at that as compared to what has been approved by the executive,” he told an Accra-based radio station.

Meanwhile, anti graft campaigner and a Member of Parliament for Asikuma Odoben Brakwa, Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori, said the increases were unjustified. “These officers enjoy certain benefits which also have money value, these officers use state vehicles, and the state is responsible for fuel, maintenance and their drivers’ salaries…they live in houses being paid for by the state.”