Onasis Kobby, the former Deputy Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken a swipe at sports journalist Dan Kwaku Yeboah over the latter's call on former president John Dramani Mahama's ex-gratia statement.
Dan Kwaku Yeboah on Friday, March 3, 2023, asked former John Dramani Mahama to return monies he has received as ex-gratia as proof that his promise to scrap the emolument plan is not just a campaign promise.
The head of sports for Despite Media urged the former president who is seeking to lead the NDC in the 2024 elections to follow the lead of Togbe Afede XIV, the Paramount Chief and Agbogbomefia of Asogli, who returned his ex-gratia to the government last year.
“You said it in 2015, the time you were in government, but you couldn’t scrap it, now that you’re on the bench (in opposition) you want to scrap what? Bring the ones that you’ve taken to set an example of what you’re saying," Dan Kweku Yeboah said.
However, Onasis Kobby who didn't receive the comment well has urged the journalist to focus on his domain and not expose his weakness on constitutional issues.
What former president John Dramani Mahama said at his campaign launch:
"The payment of ex-gratia to members of the executive under Article 71 will be scrapped. And the necessary constitutional steps to abolish that payment will start in earnest in 2025."
"We will also begin the process of persuading the other arms of government other than the executive to accept the removal of this ex-gratia payment," he made these remarks at the launch of his campaign to become the flagbearer of the NDC on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
JE/KPE