Majority Caucus chase Lordina Mahama to refund all allowances paid to her from 2012 To 2016
NPP mounts pressure on Lordina Mahama to return all monies paid to her as allowance while she was First Lady from 2012 to 2016
The Majority Caucus in Parliament has challenged former First Lady, Lordina Mahama to follow the examples of first Lady, Rebecca Akufo -Addo and Second Lady, Samira Bawumia in refunding all allowances paid her between 2012 and 2016.
Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso Constituency, Stephen Amoah who spoke on behalf of the Majority during a press encounter on Tuesday evening, dared the former first Lady to follow in the footsteps of Rebecca Akufo-Addo and do the same.
First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo on Tuesday July 14th, 2021 refunded payment to the government for allowances given to her from January, 7 2017 to date.
The notification letter to the Presidency signed by Shirley Laryea, read “I am directed to forward, herewith, a Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited cheque number 000002 for an amount of GHS 899,097.84 (Eight Hundred and Ninety-Nine Thousand Ninety-Seven Ghana cedis Eighty-Four pesewas) being the full refund for monies received from 7th January 2017 to date as allowances given to Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Republic.“
Second Lady, Samira Bawumia also served notice that she’s returning all allowances paid to her since 2017.
According to her, she will not accept any monies allocated to her under the recommendations of the Prof. Yaa Ntiamoah-Badu led committee as approved by Parliament on 6th January 2021.
In a statement signed by Kwame Twum, Senior Aide to the Second Lady noted that Mrs Bawumia decided in consultation with her husband, the Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia.
The Nhyiaeso MP further touted the credentials and results achieved by the Rebecca Akufo Addo Foundation over the past years.
“This present First Lady, in the area of health, check Korle Bu, check other minor hospitals and facilities, in terms of supporting them with equipments, this woman is so pure and hardworking, now a leader came in to regularize something which has been going on for years to make it transparent and people are criticizing it”
He then challenged Lordina Mahama to follow suit and also return all allowances paid to her from 2012 to 2016, since her Party the NDC had repeatedly spoken against the recommendation of the Ntiamoa–Baidu led presidential Committee on Emoluments for Article 71 Office Holders.
He further urged the Auditor General to audit the Lordina Mahama Foundation and make public its expenditure and monies accrued from international donor organizations.
The office of the former first Lady is yet to respond to the challenge.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
