I pay my own bills – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has described as “absolute lies” claims by the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye DC, that he (Mahama) received an ex-gratia of GH₵14 million in 2013 and GH₵15 million in 2017.

According to Mr Mahama, in 2013 the only payment made by the government to him through the Accountant General was GH₵230,000.

“No ex-gratia, I was paid 230,000 as salary arrears in 2013,” Mr Mahama said in an interview on TV3.

Privileges

Mr Mahama said he was willing to show his bank statements to the press in his defence, adding that the only privileges he had received since leaving office was his monthly pension.

He also mentioned all the other payments he makes himself, including water, electricity, rent, fuel, medical and air tickets for travel.

“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 14 million cedi payment. I didn’t receive any such payment,” Mr Mahama said.

“I receive only my monthly pension like President Kufuor and President Rawlings were receiving before he died. That is all I get.

“I pay the electricity bill for my house and my office, I pay the water bill for my house and my office. 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…”.

Background

Mr Mahama’s comments come on the back of his office rejecting Abronye DC’s claims last week.

In a press release dated September 6, 2022, Abronye DC alleged that the former president took the GH¢14 million ex-gratia in his Agricultural Development Bank Account.

He added that the GH¢15 million ex-gratia for 2017 was a sum of all the benefits Mahama enjoys as an ex-president of Ghana and it includes his salaries, accommodation allowances, travel allowances and salaries of his staff.

A statement signed by the Special Aide to the former President, Joyce Bawah Mogtari stated that the former President “never took any such ex-gratia payment of GH¢14 million in 2013 or at any other time during his 25 years of service.”

The office was responding to allegations by the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.

“We urge the public to ignore the unintelligent rants of the said Kwame Baffoe who has gained notoriety for fabricating and propagating falsehood on behalf of Nana Akufo–Addo against John Mahama. His claims are false,” the statement said.

“It will be surprising if any such payment had been made to the former President and has not been reflected in any of the numerous Auditor General’s reports presented to Parliament since 2013,” portions of the statement said.

It challenged the offices of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency to provide proof of the former president receiving the said amount in ex-gratia.

“We challenge the office of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency to provide proof of the payment of any such amount and stop using idle miscreants among its ranks to spread falsehood.”

A few weeks ago, the former president promised that the next National Democratic Congress government would champion a review of the 1992 Constitution to tackle issues such as ex-gratia payments and reformation of the Judiciary.