Rethink giving properties as ex-gratia – Casely-Hayford

Ghana’s resources are limited, hence it is time for the country to reconsider giving properties to presidents as retirement package when they leave office, a member of OccupyGhana, Sydney Casely-Hayford, has said.

Mr Casely-Hayford was of the opinion that even though the constitution makes provisions for ex-presidents, every president must plan and make provisions for their retirement and desist from making requests that will strain the country’s resources.

“I don’t think that anybody who gets loaded with no responsibilities apart from having to run a country for four years should come back after four years and not have a retirement plan for themselves. Even a CEO of a corporation should be looking at what he wants to do at the end of your period when you have to move on,” he said on Citi FM’s ‘The Big Issue’ on Saturday January 14.

Mr Casely-Hayford, who approved of certain emoluments to be given to ex-presidents, said the current package is too lavish for a country whose economy is not optimal.

“Don’t expect that the people of this country will look after you forever, especially when you have supervised the most devastating economic failure in the history of this country in modern times. Why am I to fork out and give away my assets at the end of the period?” he questioned.

His comments come in the wake of the controversy generated by the request by former president Mahama to have his official Cantonment bungalow he currently lives in as part of his retirement package.

In addition Mr Mahama requested for a property at Ridge to be used as his office.

Mr Mahama later withdrew his request after a public uproar over his demands.