Two NDC MPs have dragged the Attorney General’s office to the Supreme Court over the approval of allowance for presidential spouses.
They are Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor of South Dayi and Dr Clement Apaak of Builsa South. They are joined by Frederick Nii Commey.
In a writ filed at the registry of Supreme Court by Lawyers of the applicants, a total of eight reliefs are being sought.
The reliefs are;
- A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee appointed by the President under Article 71(1), only had jurisdiction to make recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of Article 71 office holders under the 1992 Constitution.
- A further declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Prof Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee had no jurisdiction, mandate or authority to make any recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of persons other than persons specified under Article 71 of 1992 Constitution.
- A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution, the Prof Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee exceeded its jurisdiction, mandate and authority when it purported to make recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the 1st Lady and the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana.
- A further declaration that the recommendations of the Committee, to the extent that it pertains to the 1st Lady and the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, are null, void and of no effect.
- A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of the Constitution, 1992, spouses of the President and the Vice President are not Article 71 office holders for the purposes of receipt of wages and emoluments.
- An order declaring the recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the 1st Lady and the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana as unconstitutional and void.
- An order restraining the President of the Republic of Ghana or any other arm, ministry, department or agency of the Executive, from implementing any recommendations of the Prof Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee which pertains to the 1st Lady and the wife of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana.
- Any further Order(s) or direction(s) as this Honourable Court may deem necessary.
The Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor on Wednesday disclosed he was in the process of filing a suit at the Supreme Court over the matter.
“As we speak I’m in the process of filing a writ at the supreme court. Hopefully by tomorrow by this time, the writ would have been filed. We want to interrogate the issue; the committee had no mandate to make the kind of recommendation they made. They acted utterly ultra vires their powers,” he told Journalists on Wednesday.
