Major Mahama Trust Fund Bill sent to President

Parliament yesterday passed the Major Mahama Trust Fund Bill, 2017 to establish a trust fund for the maintenance of the family of late soldier who was brutally killed by some residents of Denkyira Obuasi in the Central region in May, this year whiles on official duty.

President Akufo-Addo is expected to assent his signature to the bill passed within two weeks (14 days) to become functional as a law which already has seed money of GHC 500, 000.

Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul who spoke to the media after the passage said the creation of the fund to take care of the wife and two children of the deceased Major would serve as a motivation for people especially men and women in uniform who sacrifice to give off their best in service to the country.

According to him the passage of the bill into law for its intended purpose will serve as a signal to all citizens to have the confidence to serve with integrity knowing very well that the nation will be there for them always.

The Major Mahama Trust Fund law will ensure the establishment of fund to be management by a five-member Board of Trustees to be chaired by the Defense Minister on behalf of the government.

Other members of the board shall be the chairman of the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, the ranking member of the Defense and Interior Committee, a former Government Statistician, Dr. Grace Bediako and the chief of Tumu, Tumu Kuro.

The law provides for the Board to raise funds from the public and also create an opportunity for private individuals to donate to the fund.

Trustees of the Fund according to the bill will be expected to render regularly accounts and also to keep accounts of the trust property and produce them to any beneficiary when required and provide all reasonable information regarding how the trust property has been dealt with.

For the purposes of achieving the object of the Trust Fund, the Board of Trustees shall apply the moneys for the Trust Fund for the acquisition and furnishing of an appropriate three or four bedroom house for the widow and children namely Jaden Mahama and Jeremiah Boressah Mahama, for life, at a location to be determined by the widow.

The proposed Fund will take care of the two children of late Major up to a standard that the Board of Trustees may determine having regard to the ability and the aptitude of each of the children and for the purpose of ensuring that each of the children is adequately equipped to earn a living.

The Fund will also ensure the full maintenance of the late officer’s wife through the provision of adequate allowances for living expenses, a means of transportation, specifically a suitable vehicle periodically as reasonably necessary, educational expenses and any other facility determined by the Board of Trustees.

According to the memorandum of the new law, the residue of the Trust Fund shall revert to the Government when the object of the Trust Fund is achieved by reason of the death or marriage of Mrs Barbara Mahama, the completion by Jaden Mahama and Jeremiah Mahama of tertiary education to a standard determined by the Board to be sufficient to adequately equip each of the children to earn a living.