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The Ghanaian Supreme Court has unanimously ruled in two separate judgments that the payment of salaries to the spouses of the President and Vice President is unconstitutional.
These cases stemmed from recommendations by the presidential emolument committee that sparked controversy. The committee proposed that the First and Second Ladies be compensated with wages and emoluments.
Lawsuits Challenge Committee’s Authority and Parliamentary Approval
South Dayi Member of Parliament (MP) Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor filed one lawsuit. He argued that the emolument committee lacked the power to recommend or approve salaries for the First and Second Ladies.
In another lawsuit, Kwame Baffoe Abronye, Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), challenged the Parliament’s approval of these salaries. He argued it conflicted with Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution.
Court Upholds Challenges, Declares Payments Unconstitutional
The Supreme Court, in both cases, agreed with the arguments presented. The court’s unanimous decisions declared unconstitutional both the parliamentary approval and the subsequent payments of salaries and emoluments to the First and Second Ladies.
