Togbe Afede has sent the right message to all who receive illegal ex gratia – Prof Gyampo
Prof Ransford Gyampo, a Senior Lecturer with the University of Ghana has appreciated the efforts of the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV for refunding the ex gratia given to him for serving as a Council of State between 2017 to 2020.
He pointed out that it sends a signal to all persons being paid what he describes as ‘illegal’ ex gratia to do the same.
Mr Gyampo said, “Overall, I think it is commendable. The man is saying I was taking a monthly salary and so I don’t see why I should take this kind of money as ex gratia. It should be a good message to all who are given illegal ex gratia”.
Talking about the relevance of the Council of State, he said, “First of all, the Council of the state itself as a body is needless, we don’t need a Council of State now whose advice is not binding on the president. We don’t need now, a Council of State that the president directly or indirectly appoints its membership and renders that body toothless. The whole idea of the Council of State was borrowed from our traditional idea of a council of elders.
“In the traditional setting, no chief has a hand in appointing the council of elders. The Council of elders were operating in the Chief’s palace as a right. Before the Chief was born, members of the council of elders were there.”
Togbe Afede XIV had served on the Council in his capacity as the President of the National House of Chiefs.
He insisted that the payment was not to trap him, contrary to speculations after he made a refund to the Controller and Accountant General.
“I did not think the payment was made to trap me, as is being speculated,” he stated in a press release on Monday, June 6.
“I believe it was paid to everybody who served on the Council of State.
“However, I thought that extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work, for which I received a monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges. So, I was very uncomfortable with it.”
He stressed that he had written to the Council of State to state his reasons for rejecting the ex gratia.
