Former President John Dramani Mahama has described as “rubbish” the allegations peddled against him by NPP’s Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe over ex-gratia he received some years back.
He said the claims made by the outspoken politician are “absolutely lies” which have no justification because he received no such payment.
In a presser dated September 6, 2022, Abronye DC as known in the political cycles alleged that the former president was paid GHC14 million in 2013 as ex-gratia into his Agricultural Development Bank account.
He also claims another ex-gratia in the sum of GHC15 million was paid to the latter in 2017 as benefits of an ex-president which covers his salaries, accommodations, allowances, travel allowances, and salaries of his staff.
Mr. Mahama responding to the claims in an interview on TV3, Monday, September 12, 2022, said he only received GHC230,000 as salary arrears from the government through the Accountant General and not as Abronye DC claims to be.
“The only payment that was made to me by the government, Account General, was my salary arrears. No ex-gratia, I was paid GHC230,000 as salary arrears in 2013.
“Later, if you want, we can call a group of you journalists, of course, I don’t want to publish my bank statement, but I can put it before you and you can look through all the payments and see if there is a GHC14 million payment. I didn’t receive any such payment,” he told Alfred Ocansey.
The ex-President Mahama stated categorically that he personally foots his bills which must be paid for by the State.
“I receive only my monthly pension like President Kufuor, President Rawlings was receiving until he died, that’s all I get. I pay electricity bills for my house, and office, I pay water bills for my house and office, and I live in my own accommodation, so the state does not pay me anything for accommodation.
“They haven’t given me an office, I rent an office in East Cantonments, I pay the rent myself, I pay my own fuel, the state doesn’t give me fuel, I pay my own domestic staff, I pay my own medical bills, I pay my own air tickets when I travel, I’m traveling tonight, and I bought the tickets for myself and my wife,” John Mahama explained.
Against this background, he debunked the accusations by Abronye DC and added that “so all those things he said are rubbish.”
Mr. Mahama continued that “Yes, somebody gave him what we are entitled to, and probably they are doing it for President Kufuor, but they are not doing it for me. Normally when you leave office, Parliament approves what should be done for you but it’s not being done for me. I don’t get electricity, water, or medical.”
