New Juaben residents not happy about ex-gratia award

Koforidua, Jan 23, GNA - A cross section of residents in the New Juaben Municipality has described the quantum of benefits proposed for former President John Agyekum Kufuor as a form of corruption that must be critically looked at to prevent a surge in corrupt activities in state institutions.

They felt that the provisions made in the package were only a confirmation of the selfishness and greediness of Ghanaian politicians who only rides on the back of the electorate to power and then enrich themselves.

This came to light when GNA conducted interviews on Wednesday to sample views of the public on the ex-gratia awards that the Chinery-Hesse Committee had recommended for Ex-President Kufuor. Mr John Owusu, a teacher, said it was outrageous for a former president to be given such benefits after serving for only eight years in extreme comfort when in the Civil and Public services people could serve more than 30 years but would retire as paupers having no place to lay their heads.

He said it was wrong for people to say because the economy was in bad state it could not sustain the provisions. "The whole idea should be discouraged. The argument should not be whether the country can afford it or not."

Mr Kwame Oku, a businessman, said he was shocked that President Kufuor assented to the provisions because when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was coming to power they created the impression that they were self-made men who did not need anything but to sacrifice what they had for the betterment of Ghana.

He said if today former President Kufuor, knowing the degree of poverty that majority of Ghanaians are wallowing in, wants the state to offer him all those niceties in addition to what he had already acquired, then those in leadership positions should be watched. John Bukari, a student, said the ex-gratia award for the former president would create mistrust and dishonesty in the system.