Host of Metro TV’s ‘Good Evening Ghana’ programme, Paul Adom-Otchere has taken a swipe at the Paramount Chief of Asogli State, Tobge Afede XIV over his insincerity.
He said the return of GHS350,000 by Togbe Afede which was paid to him as ex-gratia for being a member of the Council of State is not genuine.
Speaking on his programme, Adom-Otchere said the revered chief should have returned more than the ex-gratia.
He argued that Togbe Afede XIV only attended 16% of the meetings as Council of State member yet he collected all his salaries.
“Of the 48 months, the Council of State held 242 meetings of which Togbe Afede XIV attended 39 [meeting]; it constituted 16 percent,” Adom-Otchere said while doing a touchscreen analysis of Togbe Afede’s letter explaining why he rejected the inappropriate ex-gratia paid into his account.
He explained, “the Council of State is paid every month and he [Togbe Afede] took all his salaries, of which he is entitled to it. In giving us the narrations, he should have stated that he was unable to attend all the meetings of the Council of State, yet he took all his salaries including his car loan, a waiver from Ghana Ports and Harbour’s Authority to import cars…the amount of monies government [took] off the loans that were paid to the Council of State members are more than the GH¢365k he is talking about, for a person who only attended 16 percent of Council of State meetings…
“If you check the Council of State transportation allowances, Togbe’s allowance were paid as of coming from Ho in the Volta region; some of the members told me that ordinarily, he lives in Accra but he said he was coming from Ho.”
“Out of 242 meetings that were held [by the Council of State], Togbe Afede, who chair’s a committee and whose meetings are few – as a chairman he was often not available – attended 16 percent of the meetings and he took every allowance…
To Adom-Otchere, the Paramount Chief and the Agbogbomefia must be able to refund more than GH¢365k of the money he has refunded.
Togbe Afede XIV explained his intention not to accept over GH¢365,000 ex-gratia paid to him for serving on the Council of State between 2017 and 2020.
According to him, it is not appropriate to receive the said amount when he was being paid monthly for serving as a Council of State member.
