The Deputy Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ernest Kofi
Owusu Bempah, has revealed that the state has spent approximately GH¢32 million on
former President John Dramani Mahama since he left office in 2017. He has thus called on
Ghanaians not to believe the former President when he criticizes wasteful public spending.
In a Statement, Mr. Owusu-Bempah noted that accountable leadership and former President John
Mahama have no correlation, stating that Mr. Mahama has been claiming expenses on his current
residential property and emoluments since 2017. He could have received as much as GH¢18
million from the taxpayer, in addition to GH¢14 million in ex gratia.
He added that Mr. Mahama, apart from the GH¢14 million ex gratia, retired on a salary of
GH¢22,809, up from the non-taxable salary of GH¢15,972 previously approved for presidents.
“However, he now receives GH¢35,000 monthly due to the recent increase in emoluments as
recommended by the Presidential Emoluments Committee on the conditions of service of Article
71 officeholders’ report,” he noted.
“Essentially, since Mahama was voted out of office in 2017, he has received a non-taxable salary
of GH¢1,934,832.00. He has also received GH¢9,123.00 monthly as rent. This means that since
2017, when Ghanaians voted against John Mahama, he has received an accommodation
allowance totaling GH¢629,487.00,” Mr. Owusu-Bempah added.
Regarding other expenses, Mr. Owusu-Bempah alleged that Mr. Mahama, while in retirement,
still receives benefits such as state-provided staff not exceeding four, including Joyce Bawa
Mogtari and Felix Ofosu Kwakye, who receive GH¢9,000 each month as allowances. He also
has a furnished and up-to-date office located in Cantonments, Accra, complete with
communication equipment and staff support, which includes a cook, steward, and gardener.
For transport, he indicated that Mr. Mahama has been given two Toyota Land Cruiser V8
vehicles, a chauffeur, maintained and comprehensively insured by the State, and changed every
four years for life, with each V8 costing GH¢800,000.00, summing up to over GH¢1.6 million.
“Also, the state fuels each vehicle weekly at a cost of GH¢2,000, thereby amounting to
GH¢324,000 since he was voted out of office in 2017. In terms of overseas official travel, the
state has funded 18 trips of former President Mahama, amounting to over $1,000,000.00.
In all, we are talking about some GH¢32 million state money that the former President has
greedily enjoyed,” he said.
Mr. Owusu-Bempah highlighted that Mr. Mahama is the only President in the Fourth Republic
who has received such a huge ex gratia and continues to receive an unprecedented end-of-service
package which no former president has ever enjoyed.
“I don’t even want to go into all the emoluments that this ingrate of a former president has
enjoyed from his days as Assemblyman, Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister, Minister, Vice
President, and President of Ghana. At this opportune time, I don’t know what’s more
heartbreaking; Mahama’s gluttonous self-indulgence or his hypocrisy and double standards. I
guess the political correctness raison d’être; something that’s legal but yet immoral. In fact, it’s
always interesting to know, in these recessionary times when everyone is struggling, that Mr.
Mahama is actually draining the state while at the same time campaigning to be president again,”
he noted.
