Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Kwame Baffoe (Abronye) says former President John Dramani Mahama cannot recuse himself as being a major contributor to the nation’s indebtedness.
Speaking in an interview with pro-NPP Wontumi FM monitored by GhanaWeb, Abronye alleged that before leaving office, Mahama instituted for himself monthly remunerations that have proven to be costly to the nation.
“John Mahama collects GH¢30,000 every month yet he doesn’t pay taxes. His labourers who are three in number take GH¢18,000 each every month and there are 5 others at his office who take GH¢7,000 every month,” he alleged.
According to Abronye, a simple mathematics of the monthly expenses incurred by the state on the former President and his staff amounts to Gh¢100,000 which accumulates into GH¢1.2 million annually.
He has thus tasked the former President to give up his monthly salary if he believes the national debt stock is growing exponentially since the amount being spent on him by the state is a major contributor to the national debt.
“You instituted it for yourself before leaving office and nobody can change it. The states spend GH¢100,000 on you every month and a year is GH¢1.2 million. If you multiply it by four years that is GH¢4.6 million.
“Count the number of children that amount can take through secondary school. If NDC members want to talk about the national debt they should include the GH¢100,000 John Mahama receives every month and ask him to stop taking it so the national debt will decline,” he added.
Following the recent presentation of the State of the Nation Address and the 2021 budget, the opposition National Democratic Congress and the Minority Caucus of Parliament have raised concerns about the national debt stock which is now said to be around GH¢291 billion.
