IS IT TRUE?

After increasing his own salary and that of his ministers by about 300 per cent, President Kufuor, whose salary now stands as much as ¢46 million, has taken three years salary advance…

Your most authoritative newspaper “The Ghana Palaver” in the last two years, has been investigating information it had received that the President, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, has increased his salary and that of his Ministers by over three hundred per cent and as if that was not enough, the President, just like his predecessor, the late Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, has taken three years salary advance.

Ever since the President’s travel allowance became an issue, Ghanaians have demanded to know how much exactly their President and his Ministers earn a month but this demand had fallen on deaf ears

Not the Accountant General nor the Castle would like to respond to this simple demand from the general public.

This newspaper, in trying to satisfy the appetite of many Ghanaians as far as the salary of the President and his Ministers are concerned, took to the street of Accra for the views of those who gave the President and his Ministers their mandate to rule this country.

And their demand is:- HAS THE PRESIDENT TAKEN THREE YEARS SALARY ADVANCE? The biggest surprise of the people was whether it was true that the President has indeed taken three years salary advance and if it was true, why would Mr. Kufuor take that amount (¢46 million X 12 X 3) as salary advance since the state was providing him with everything he needs.

In 1972, when Prime Minister Kofi Busia was overthrown by Kutu Acheampong, it was discovered that, fearing that there could be a coup to topple his administration, he took a three years salary advance to renovate his private residence at Odorkor.

Is President Kufuor also afraid of a coup and that was why he has taken three years salary advance?, the people demanded.

A section of the public were also surprised that at a time when the Kufuor-led government had refused Teachers, Health workers and majority of workers their salary adjustment, he had secretly increased his salary and taken advantage of the hike and taken, as well, a salary advance.

The people asked whether the President was aware of the suffering of the ordinary Ghanaian and if he was, what is he doing about it.

They maintained that currently, despite the praises showered on the Kufuor government, by the World Bank, Financial Institutions and donor partners, many Ghanaians cannot afford three square meals a day and could not just meet their social responsibilities as a people.

The people also wondered with the huge increases in the salaries of Ministers, why should the Kufuor administration be engulfed in corrupt cases with the newspapers exposing, at least, one corrupt government official a day.. Some said, it was because the government is corrupt, as alleged in the Ghanaian media, that was why it has refused to pass the “Freedom of Information Bill” which will give the people and the media free access to government information. The man on the street is therefore demanding to know how much the President and his Ministers are earning and why the President should take three years salary advance at this time?