A fresh controversy over the payment of ex-gratia to former presidential appointees has emerged, following concerns raised by New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe over the delay in settling what he says are outstanding entitlements.
In a post shared on Facebook, Tagoe questioned why former appointees who served under the previous administration are still waiting for their ex-gratia payments approximately one year and nine months after the change of government.
Tagoe’s comments specifically put the spotlight on Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, questioning why the payments have not been made and calling for an explanation from the Ministry of Finance.
According to Tagoe, the appointment letters issued to the affected appointees in 2021 contained provisions relating to their entitlement to ex-gratia. He therefore questioned what legal basis, if any, exists for withholding the payments.
The NPP communicator also drew a comparison with the transition from the previous Mahama administration, claiming that former presidential appointees at the time began receiving their ex-gratia payments as early as March 2017, only a few months after the change of government.
“What has changed?” Tagoe questioned, arguing that the apparent difference in the timing of payments requires an explanation.
His intervention has consequently sparked a political conversation about the treatment of former government appointees and whether contractual or statutory entitlements contained in appointment letters should be honoured after an administration leaves office.
For critics of the current administration, the issue provides another opportunity to question the government's handling of former public officials' outstanding financial obligations. Supporters of the government, however, may argue that the payment of ex-gratia must be considered within the applicable legal, financial and administrative framework.
At the centre of the controversy is a straightforward question: when will former appointees who are legally entitled to ex-gratia receive their payments?
As of the publication of this report, the claims made by Tagoe regarding the timing of previous ex-gratia payments and the legal entitlement contained in the 2021 appointment letters would require confirmation from the relevant official records and authorities.
The Finance Ministry has yet to publicly respond to the specific claims raised in Tagoe’s post.
Report: Jonas Nunoo
