Former president John Dramani Mahama has declined to donate his salary into the COVID-19 national fund.
Mr Mahama, speaking to Joy News in an interview on Monday, April 6, 2020, said any donation of his salary into the fund “will not help.”
“What we need now are items and so if I have money I would rather prefer to buy Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for frontline health workers and that’s what I’m doing at the moment. I am spending money buying PPEs and distributing them. Somebody decides to donate his salary, that’s fine. Everybody does what he thinks he can do best to help. I believe that donating my salary in the future will not help,” he said.
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Mr Mahama’s comment follows pressure mounted on him to also take a pay cut and donate into the national fund as done by the president and his entire government machinery, organisations and some individuals.
President Akufo-Addo in a bid to mitigate the effect of the disease on the poor and vulnerable in society, set up a COVID-19 fund for well-meaning Ghanaians to contribute their widow’s mite to the fight against the pandemic.
President Akufo-Addo, setting up the fund, donated his April, May and June salaries to the fund, a precedence followed by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as well as Ministers of State, heads of government institutions, organisations and some individuals.
Watch interview below: