Parliament’s approval of salaries for wife of President and Vice President unconstitutional – Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has declared as unconstitutional parliament’s approval of payment of salaries allowances to spouses of the President and the Vice-President from the consolidated fund.

In a ruling today, a seven-member panel chaired by the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, held that the positions of the First and Second ladies of Ghana do not fall under the category of Public Office holders.

It added that the Emolument Committee of Parliament is limited to recommending the salaries and other benefits and privileges of only public office holders.

This was the judgement of the court in the case filed by the Bono Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye D.

Mr Abronye’s fourth relief, which was praying the Court to to declare that parliament cannot, on its own accord, initiate or approve payment of any such emoluments; which would necessarily be paid from public funds; without a bill to that effect emanating from and introduced by the government and duly passed into law, was not granted.

Although the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) for South Dayi Constituency, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, filed a similar action, his reliefs which focused on the recommendations of the Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee were dismissed, while only one was granted.

Other members of the panel were Justices Gabriel Pwamang, Avril Lovelace-Johnson, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Barbara Ackah-Yensu, Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu and Ernest Yao Gaewu.

Source: graphic online