Enoch Kofi Nyarkoh writes:

1. On January 10, 2010, the late President, J.EA. Mills, inaugurated the Constitution Review Commission, which had Prof. Raymond Atuguba as a member.

2. The Commission presented its proposals/report to late President Mills on 20th December, 2011.

3. One key proposal from the Commission was on ex-gratia. The Commission proposed that the current structure of ex-gratia be scrapped and an Independent Emoluments Commission(IEC) be created to determine and review all emoluments of all public officers in context of the prevailing economic condition which the Mills/Mahama government accepted.

4. In fact, John Mahama has claimed he is a champion of this proposal of scrapping ex-gratia for the IEC to determine salaries of all public officials.

5. In October 2011, the late Prof. J.E.A. Mills set up the Professor Ewurama Addy Emoluments Committee for Article 71 office holders as expected.

6. During the inauguration of the Committee, the late Prof. Mills proposed to the committee to scrap the current arrangement which enjoins the state to build houses for Presidents of the country after they have served their tenure. And he said that should start after his tenure.

7. Unfortunately, we lost him and probably lost his proposal as well because we never heard of it again.

8. From 2011 to 2016, the proposals from the CRC were never implemented neither was the scrapping of ex gratia. We only heard of IEC again in 2015 when Mr. John Mahama asked for the support of Organized Labour to abolish ex-gratia to be replaced by IEC.

9. As if that was not enough in January, 2016, Mr. John Mahama, as required by the constitution formed another emoluments Committee headed by Professor Dora Francisca Edu- Buandoh, with Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, Dr. William Baah Boateng, Mrs. Norkor Duah and Mrs. Lydia Lariba Bawa(Who Mr. John Mahama had appointed as Commissioner of Insurance in 2013, and i won’t say because she is Bawa, she is related to Joyce Bawa) as members.

10. Mr. John Mahama had forgotten about the scrapping of ex-gratia and his advocacy for IEC. He also forgot how hard the economy was and rather the committee he formed proposed 10% salary increment for him and others.

11. As if that was not enough, after his one term as President, he wanted a 16 bedroom villa which has been a place occupied by Vice Presidents of Ghana.

12. This man wakes up again in 2021 and again proposes the IEC when the first lady allowance became topical.

13. From 2011 to 2016, with Prof. Raymond Atuguba as his executive secretary, who was part of the CRC, he couldn’t implement his so called baby but will find his voice to about these things with the support of his footsoldiers.

14. Today, he says, he will review the constitution again after and camcel ex-gratia? So what happened to the first one we wasted billions of Ghana Cedis on?

15. Such an opportunistic and populist politician. Just as clueless as always, have no alternative solutions. I don’t blame him because we indeed have short memories.