Mahama rejected rent allowance and begged for house - Majority Leader

Majority Leader Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu has disclosed former President John Mahama begged Parliament to reverse its decision to pay him a monthly rent allowance upon retirement and rather opted for his official residence as his retirement home.

Kyei Mensah Bonsu in an interview with Abusua FM’s Kwame Adinkrah said President Mahama pleaded that Parliament gave him a permanent accommodation after he hands over.

There has been widespread public outcry surrounding the accommodation of former President Mahama since leaving office as President on January 7, 2017.

A Presidential Emoluments committee Mahama formed before handing over, had recommended that the exiting president be paid 40% of his salary as rent allowance.

But after Parliament accepted this recommendation, President John Mahama caused fresh changes in the recommendation which was later brought back to parliament.

According to Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, “we gathered that the president has made some entreaties to elderly statesmen in the country to intervene to have an official residence.”

In the new recommendations, the President is to be given a permanent place of abode after leaving office.

”Don’t forget the NPP was still in the Minority” Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu said as Parliament approved this recommendation.