Ex-Gratia Saga: Veep, Others Overpaid

DAILY GUIDE can authoritatively confirm that about 176 former Ministers of state and Members of Parliament (MPs) were overpaid their end-of-service benefits or ex-gratia, and not only five ministers under the Kufuor administration, as reported by the media.

According to the Auditor-General’s report on the verification of emoluments for the former public officials, among the people overpaid are Vice President John Dramani Mahama and high-profile ministers in the current National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to DAILY GUIDE sources, the least overpaid MP received GH¢3,600, and this cut across all the political divides.

A Daily Graphic report on Thursday May 13, indicated that a report from the Auditor General on the verification of emolument for ex-Ministers and MPs, indicated that they were overpaid, and had issued a directive asking them to refund a total of GH¢94,080.

The overpayment to the MPs and ministers is about GH¢648,710.

Those ordered to refund the money, according to the report, included Christopher Addae, former deputy Minister for Railways and Harbours- GH¢17,936; Samuel Kweku Obodai, former deputy Central regional Minister- GH¢17,936; Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, former deputy Majority Leader- GH¢20,848; Ernest Debrah, former Minister of Food and Agriculture- GH¢19,424 and Kofi Osei Ameyaw, former deputy Minister of Tourism-GH¢17,936, all of whom are members of the NPP.

The report further said the Auditor General, after carrying out a requested verification from the Office of the President on the payments of gratuity to the ex-ministers, submitted that there were some under and over payments to some ex-MPs and Ministers even though there were no shortfalls.

The apparent show of partiality in the said publication incensed the Minority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who described the report by the Auditor-General claiming over payment of ex-gratia made to him and others under the Kufuor administration as an “infantile prank”.

He challenged government to publish the full list of those who were overpaid and inform Ghanaians the basis for the payment of the ex-gratia as it was not clear whether the payment was based on the Chinery-Hesse Committee Report or that of Ishmael Yamson’s Committee.

Following this, DAILY GUIDE has uncovered that the Auditor-General’s report revealed that 176 were overpaid and asked them to refund the excess money paid to them- GH¢648,710.

Fifty-four others, including Nana Akufo-Addo, NPP’s presidential aspirant, Prof. Mike Oquaye, second Deputy Speaker, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, MP for Weija, Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, former Minister of Defence and Cecilia Abena Dapaah, MP for Bantama and former Minister of State at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, were under-paid an amount GH¢411,632.

Those over-paid included Vice President Dramani Mahama, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader in Parliament; Freddie Blay, former First Deputy Speaker, Alban S.K. Bagbin, former Majority Leader and now Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Edward Doe Adjaho, current First Deputy Speaker and Ken Dzirasah, former Second Deputy Speaker.

Others were E.T. Mensah, MP for Ningo/Prampram and Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, the late Edward Salia, former MP for Jirapa, Paa Kwesi Nduom, former MP for KEEA and CPP presidential candidate, Lee Ocran, former MP for Jomoro and current Ghanaian Ambassador to South Africa and Felix Twumasi Appiah, MP for Sene.

Others are Akua Sena Dansua, Minister for Youth and Sports, Mahama Ayariga, former MP for Bawku Central and now Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry who was among the first batch of MPs who received the ex-gratia, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, MP for Asawase and Haruna Iddrisu, MP for Tamale South and Minister for Communications among others.

According to the Auditor-General’s report, the problems arose because the process did not go through thorough verification before the payments were effected to the various MPs and ex-Ministers of state, through the Ministry of Finance.

It has been revealed that payment of installation and resettlement grants from parliament were higher than those paid from the Office of the President, and the basis of the computation is as strange as an eclipse, in view of the presidential intervention.