The Bono Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, is challenging Parliament’s approval of salaries for presidential spouses at the Supreme Court.
In the application filed at the Supreme Court on Thursday, July 8, 2021, Abronye DC prayed the apex court to rule that the Presidential Spouse Emolument is null and void.
Abronye DC, as he is popularly called, maintained that the First and the Second Ladies do not fall under Article 71 officerholders, hence the committee set up to determine salaries and gratuities for Article 71 officeholders erred in its recommendation.
“A declaration that the approval by Parliament to pay salaries to the First and Second Ladies is inconsistent with Article 71 clauses 1 and 2 of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana and consequently be declared null, void, and unenforceable.
“A declaration that, per article 71 (1) and (2), the position of the First and Second Ladies of Ghana do not fall under the category of public officeholders,” he prayed.
Abronye DC also contended that the Emoluments Committee exceeded its mandate by making recommendations for emoluments for presidential spouses and that the committee was only limited to determining “salaries and other benefits and privileges of only public officeholders.”
By this action, Abronye DC is invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to interpret Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution.
Below is the writ:
