Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South constituency has mounted a defense for former First Lady, Lordina Mahama, following calls on her by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to refund lawful allowances paid to her between January 2009 and June 2021.
Dr Clement Apaak explained that, the monies paid to Mrs Mahama are “legitimate, recognised and lawful allowance she has received over the period.”
Pressure is mounting on Mrs Mahama to refund the allowance paid her after the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Second Lady, Samira Bawumia decided to refund all monies paid to her as allowances from January 2017 to date.
This follows public uproar after it emerged that, Parliament had approved a report by an Emoluments Committee which recommended spouses of the President and Vice to be paid salaries.
Already, two suits have been filed seeking to halt the payments. To end the melee, the First and Second Ladies have declined the offer.
Based on this backdrop, some members of the ruling NPP have started a campaign on social media dubbed: ‘Bring Back Our Money’ against Mrs Mahama.
But Dr Apaak on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday described such a call as “bogus”.
He said no one is contending the allowances received by the First and Second ladies but rather the salaries recommended by the Emoluments Committee which in his view is unconstitutional “so anyone who makes that call is making a bogus call”.
The Bulsa South MP stated that, the allowances paid Mrs Akufo-Addo and Mrs Bawumia are lawful and never a source of controversy.
“If these two have decided to refund it [allowance] well and good but that cannot be a basis to say Madam Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, Madam Theresa Kufuor and Madam Lordina Mahama should refund the lawful allowances they have received of the period,” he added.
Dr Apaak urged the public not to mix apples with oranges and “muddy the waters for political expediency.”