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Opinions of Saturday, 23 November 2013

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

Is the 10% Cut in Salaries Enough?

Is the 10% Cut in Salaries of the President, His Ministers and Appointees Enough?

???I thank the President, his government Ministers and appointees for volunteering to cut their monthly salary by 10%. According to the Finance Minister, Seth Terkper,the money to accrue from the 10% cut will be channelled into a special account for development projects.?However, not being very ungrateful, I shall say the 10% cut of which other Ghanaians are full of thanks and praises to the President, is not only not enough but also, an insult to the intelligence of all discerning Ghanaians. A curious mind may have started probing why the writer is saying this. The answer is not far fetched. It is right on your doorstep, probably concealed under your doormat. ?

?If you open widely your eyes, stay very attentive after removing the wax from your ears and put on your thinking cup as some students may say, you will see, hear, notice and appreciate the wisdom in my statement. ?Barely had the President, his Ministers and appointees assumed their various offices when they increased their salaries by hefty percentages that only God and Professor Mariam Awurama Addy Committee only know. Former President Kufuor was on GHc 3,600 salary a month and the late President Mills on GHc4, 700. That of Mahama jumped out of both regions to GHc12, 000 thanks to the recommendations of a Salary Review Committee - Professor Mariam Awurama Addy Committee ?.From the look of the increment and cut percentages, what is 10% cut that Ghanaians are to be most grateful to the President for? It is just a drop in the ocean compared to the "create, loot and share" percentage increment with almost four year retrospective effectiveness that he has been enjoying. ?I would rather wish he kept his 10% cut which is not even obligatory but voluntary. It is also without any number of months or years of retrospective effectiveness,unlike his pay increment that was backdated to January 2009.?I wonder why these NDC guys, as incompetent as they are, always seek to play smart by underrating the intelligence of Ghanaians.

The more they try to, the more they are faulted by discerning Ghanaians.?It would be better they cease their perpetration of corruption, the bane of Ghana’s socio-economic emancipation. You cannot forfeit 10% of your salary and be applauded for that kind gesture while you continually secretly embezzle hundred or thousand fold that much. I personally do not take delight in situations reminiscent of the proverbial "Robbing Peter to pay Paul".?How much % cut will the Parliamentarians suffer? I am only asking. I do not see the current "Yeah, Yeah" Parliamentarians, MCEs and DCEs as effectively representing the constituents but they are representing themselves, their self-interests of course, their families and their cronies.?Ghana is on social, political and economic nose-dive. Do the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary arms of government see it or they are as blind as they are corrupt and callous??I would have said shove the 10% up your arse but it is too vulgar a phrase to use.?Please NDC government; do not continually underestimate the intelligence of Ghanaians for it is not every Ghanaian who is foolish as you presume ? .I am not the least appreciative of the 10% cut. I find it an insult to my intelligence until you cease your ruinous corruptibility that every discerning Ghana is decrying day in day out.?I dedicate this write-up to all those intelligent Ghanaians who see wisdom in all that I have said. I shall be discussing the chiefs of Asanteman in my next or future write-ups. ?Stay tuned for more updates from the fountain of overflowing wisdom springing out of the grey hairs of that old man from…… ? THE BATTLE IS STILL THE LORD’S AND IT CONTINUES UNABATED!?Rockson Adofo ?? ? ?