If ex-gratia payment is to be counted and awarded like ballon d’or, former President John Mahama would have emerged as the politician with the most, Chairman Wontumi has underscored.
The Ashanti regional Chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in an interview with Wontumi TV stated that in 2008, 2012 and 2016, former President John Mahama took home gargantuan ex-gratia payments making him far richer than the GHC14million Chairman Abronye revealed has been paid to him.
Chairman Wontumi’s comment comes on the back of a denial by the office of the former President that he didn’t receive the “fattest” ex-gratia of GHC 14 million in 2013.
According to Chairman Wontumi, the office of Mr. John Mahama want to throw dust into the eyes of the public and want to cover up the moneys he has received which is more than GHC14 million.
“Mahama’s office should have added evidence to the statement they put out if they know they he hasn’t received GHC14million as ex-gratia. From my independent checks, I realized that he has made more than GHC14 million and the corrupt acts he supervised even raked in more than the amount we are talking about”, Chairman Wontumi said.
Abronye’s Revelation
It is now emerging that former President John Mahama took home the “fattest” ex-gratia of GHC 14 million in 2013, Chairman Abronye has revealed.
The Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) disclosed on the Nsempa Fie show on Wontumi TV that since the 4th republic, former President John Mahama remains the only person who has taken home the whopping amount and set a record for himself.
He therefore stated that it was hypocritical for him to turnaround and claim if he is given the mandate again he would cancel ex-gratia payments.
“The ex-gratia payment was put in a bucket of a kia truck and sent to him”, he said.
John Mahama’s denial
The Office of former President John Dramani Mahama says it has become aware of another false claim by Kwame Baffoe, that he (Mahama) “…took home the fattest ex-gratia of GHc 14m in 2013…”
The ex-President urged the general public to ignore the revelation by Kwame Baffoe who according to them, had gained notoriety for fabricating and propagating falsehood on behalf of Nana Akufo-Addo against John Mahama.
A statement signed by Joyce Bawa Mogtari, Special aide to John Mahama, was emphatic that the former President never took any such ex-gratia payment of GHc 14m in 2013 or at any other time during his 25 years of distinguished public service.