President-elect John Dramani Mahama has addressed recent concerns over ex-gratia payments, firmly stating that he has not received any such benefits from the government. In a recent interview, Mahama clarified that the only payment he received from the state was GH¢200,000 in salary arrears in 2013.
“The state hasn’t given me any money for anything. I pay all my bills, fuel my car, cover my medical expenses, and pay for my domestic staff. When I travel with my wife, I buy my own plane tickets. I haven’t received any ex-gratia from the government,” Mahama explained.
His statement comes amidst ongoing debates about the remuneration of Article 71 officeholders, including the President, Vice President, Speaker of Parliament, and other high-ranking officials. Mahama has previously voiced his commitment to abolishing ex-gratia payments for members of the executive branch, should he be re-elected.
In March 2023, Mahama declared, “The payment of ex-gratia to members of the executive will be scrapped. The necessary constitutional steps to implement this will begin in earnest in 2025.”
Watch a snippet of the interview below.
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