Rawlings’ Ridge Residence returns to State or Osu Stool? former First Lady to relocate

As First and Second Lady are put on salary by the state while allowances are paid the former first ladies, the excuse is that, some Former First Ladies are suffering…

To be a First or Second Lady you must be married to a President or Vice President.

A President or Vice President is not limited by law to have one wife.

Presidents and Vice Presidents are paid very well, don’t pay taxes on their salaries and allowances and retire on their salaries and benefits which includes staff, vehicles, medical, travels, security, accommodation, entertainment etc paid for by Ghanaian taxpayers.

The Ghanaian taxpayers retires on a Pension which is a fraction of their salary after tax.

The few Senior Civil and Public Servants who are fortunate to be in government bungalows are usually evicted shortly after retirement…

The salaries of ordinary Ghanaian workers have not seen an appreciable increase with COVID-19 being blamed; thus the increase of the salaries of the President and Vice President, contracting loans for car loans for MPs and the Council of State have been met with public outrage.

The worst outrage is the attempt to illegally and unconstitutionally make First Lady and Second Lady Article 71 Officeholders ranked as Ministers in salaries and benefits.

The Emoluments Committee which is empowered to review the salaries of the President has no power to create new Article 71 Officeholders in the persons of the First and Second Ladies.

The President’s acceptance of the recommendation of the EMOLUMENTS COMMITTEE and the subsequent Parliamentary approval does not legalise the unconstitutionality.

The silently smooth approval of the salaries and benefits of President and Article 71 Officeholders including Parliamentarians is the best example of QUID PRO QUO locally termed “scratch my back, I scratch your back” at the expense of the poor Ghanaian taxpayers.

It will be recalled that President Kufuor in 2008 attempted to implement the Emoluments Committee Report into which had been smuggled a Residential Property and land transferable to his family as FREEHOLD upon his death.

The clause which would have illegally annexed State Lands for the President and his Vice President was fiercely resisted by the GaDangme Youth on behalf of the Original Land Owners.

The GaDangme Youth which was led by Prince-Derek ADJEI at the time; stopped President Kufuor from forcibly implementing the Emoluments Committee Report, stating that they are in principle not opposed to the GOVERNMENT providing residential and office facilities for Former President’s and Vice Presidents but ONLY UNTIL THEIR DEATH as they retire on their FULL-TAXFREE-SALARIES and benefits and could provide their own accommodation.

I stated categorically after President Kufour eventually abandoned the illegal annexation of the Lands and the landed property in perpetuity, THAT THE PRINCIPLED POSITION TAKEN WAS APPLICABLE TO EVERY PRESIDENT AND NOT TARGETED AT PRESIDENT KUFUOR.

President Atta-Mills’ death did not trigger any action since he was at the time of his death not living in a State Bungalow but was living in his own house and the Osu Castle.

Former President Rawlings, however, as Military Head of State annexed a State Bungalow at RIDGE for his family while he lived at the Osu Castle.

As civilian President, Rawlings continued to hold on to the Ridge Bungalow in addition to his PRIVATE Residences at Adjiringarnor and Tefle.

Former President Rawlings sad passing away triggered THE PRINCIPLE THAT DISALLOWED PRESIDENT KUFUOR’S ANNEXATION OF A STATE LAND AND BUNGALOWS FOREVER.

Former President’s are not paid salaries after their death.

Former President Rawlings’ nuclear family fortunately are not destitute.

Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings is paid regularly by the State an Allowance just like other former First Ladies for their upkeep.

The Ridge Residence of the Rawlingses must be returned to the State or forfeited by the State to the Original Land Owners as the case might be.

It is unsustainable to give FREEHOLD LAND AND LANDED PROPERTY TO PRESIDENTS, VICE PRESIDENTS, FIRST LADIES, SECOND LADIES, SPEAKERS, CHIEF JUSTICES, Ministers and other Article 71 Officeholders.

The Lands Commission has illegally and fraudulently been making such allocations of State Lands and State Bungalows despite the shortage of government bungalows for civil and public servants for the performance of their official duties.

These illegal allocations by the Lands Commission makes the beneficiaries INSTANT MILLIONAIRES as these Million Dollar Properties are given to these persons nearly for free.

Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo and Georgina Theodora Woode had Article 146 Petitions for their removal from office, because of they were participants of this Kelewele-Toffee fraud as described by Hon. Inusah Fuseini and Hon. Peter Amewu who were Lands Ministers in NDC and NPP governments respectively.

The phenomenon of creating INSTANT MILLIONAIRES out of the ruling class at the expense of the poor Ghanaian taxpayers and Original Land Owners must be stopped.

The Lands Commission must stop falsifying document and criminally altering Executive Instruments .

Ghana’s professional MILITARY has taken a cue from the political leaders, and is ILLEGALLY ANNEXING PRIME LANDS using guns, brute force and acting as LANDGUARDS

The KPLETSO ASSAULT of journalists and citizens of La by violent and unruly men in Ghana Army Uniforms is testament of this fact.

The Military High Command has not made public the content of the REPORT on its promised investigation into the assault.

The complicity of members of successive governments in the LOOTING OF LANDS cannot be over-emphasised ; collectively we must end this dangerous act of impunity which is leading to mayhem across the country.

We must act on principle.

The Military must stop brutalizing Citizens.

The Military must stop ANNEXING LANDS by FORCE.

The State must stop ANNEXING LAND and illegally transferring title to individuals who can otherwise purchase land on the open market.

The Rawlingses must relocate from the Ridge Bungalow to the private residence of Former President Rawlings.

Land is not a Renewable Resource, government must renew EXPIRED LEASES and renegotiate with the ORIGINAL LAND OWNERS for the re-acquisition in accordance with ARTICLE 20 of the 1992 Constitution.

Together we can and must FIX THE COUNTRY.

God BLESS our Homeland Ghana.

By Prince-Derek ADJEI
PDA -08-07-2021