By Grace Zigah
Former presidential appointees under the Akufo-Addo administration are demanding answers from Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson over the payment of their ex-gratia, accusing the government of failing to honour an entitlement they say was clearly captured in their appointment letters.
The former appointees say they have been waiting for payment despite the John Mahama administration being in office for one year and nine months, raising questions about why the government has yet to settle what they consider a contractual obligation.
According to the aggrieved former appointees, their 2021 appointment letters expressly provided for ex-gratia payments at the end of their service. They argue that having completed their tenure, the government has an obligation to honour the terms under which they were appointed.
Their concerns have now been directed at Ato Forson, with the former appointees demanding an explanation from the Finance Minister for what they describe as an unexplained delay in settling their entitlement.
The former appointees have also drawn comparisons with the previous transition of government, questioning why payments to some former presidential appointees under the Mahama administration reportedly began as early as March 2017, only two months after the change of government.
They argue that the contrast raises legitimate questions about the current administration’s approach to the financial obligations owed to former political appointees.
‘What has changed?’
The former appointees are particularly concerned about the length of time they have had to wait.
They question why former appointees of the previous administration are still waiting for their ex-gratia after one year and nine months in office, particularly when they say similar payments were reportedly processed relatively quickly following the previous change of government.
“So, after one year and nine months in office, the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, has decided not to pay us our ex-gratia as stated in our 2021 appointment letters?” they asked.
For the former officials, the issue is not merely about delayed payment but whether the government intends to honour the commitments contained in their appointment documents.
They contend that if the entitlement was expressly provided for in their appointment letters and there is no legal basis for withholding the money, the Finance Minister should provide a clear explanation for the delay.
A question of government obligation
The dispute places renewed attention on the broader issue of financial obligations arising from presidential appointments and what happens to such commitments when one administration leaves office and another assumes power.
Former political appointees often leave office following a change in government, but financial obligations arising from their tenure can continue beyond the end of an administration.
In this case, the former Akufo-Addo appointees insist that their claim is rooted in the terms of their 2021 appointment letters.
They therefore want the Finance Ministry to clarify whether their entitlement has been approved, whether funds have been allocated for the payments and, if not, what legal or administrative reason is responsible for the delay.
Interestingly Ato Forson who served under the Legislature as MP has received his ex-gratia for the period under review.
Comparison with 2017 payments
The former appointees’ argument is strengthened, in their view, by their reference to the transition from the Mahama administration to the Akufo-Addo administration in 2017.
They claim that former presidential appointees under the previous government reportedly began receiving their ex-gratia payments in March 2017, just months after the change of administration.
They are therefore asking why the same level of urgency has not been demonstrated in dealing with the outstanding claims of former appointees from the Akufo-Addo government.
“What has changed?” they ask.
The comparison is likely to fuel a wider political debate over whether successive governments apply consistent standards when dealing with financial obligations to former officeholders.
Demand for answers from Ato Forson
At the heart of the former appointees’ demand is an explanation from the Finance Minister.
They want Ato Forson to clarify the government’s position on the payments and explain why the alleged entitlement remains outstanding.
“If the entitlement is clearly stated in our appointment letters and the government has no legal basis for withholding it, then the Finance Minister owes us an explanation and, more importantly, our money,” they said.
The former appointees’ demand now puts the Finance Ministry under pressure to address the status of the claims and provide clarity on whether the government intends to release the outstanding payments.
