Another edition of Key Points was held on April 27, 2024.
As usual, the panelists did not disappoint. They broke down the issues related to the topics tabled for discussion by Alfred Ocansey and the production team.
The topics are; KPMG audit reveals GH¢1bn paid to SML for revenue mobilization, NDC outdoors Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang as Mahama’s running mate, Calls for Review of Asset Declaration Law and Supreme Court declares payment of salaries to presidential spouses as unconstitutional.
Here are 27 Key Points from the show:
- Leadership since independence has failed Ghana – Gyampo
A professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has observed that leadership since the independence of Ghana has failed the country.
He attributes this to the level of development Ghana is witnessing presently compared to what is happening in other countries.
Prof Gyampo blamed Ghana’s underdevelopment on corruption and misgovernance.
“Leadership since independence has failed Ghana. You look at the level of development elsewhere and you compare it to us, it is like we are trying to do things without our soul for our people,” he said while making a comment on the show.
He added “It appears we are being wicked to ourselves and the caliber of people we have selected to power the development they have failed.
“We hate ourselves, we get into all manner of corruption and misgovernance, if you look at the caliber of people who want to go to parliament if you look at the caliber of people contesting to be president, some independent candidates, it tells you that we have failed.”
2. Judgement on Spousal Salary payment: Any consequential orders are implied – Dafeamekpor on whether paid salaries will be retrieved
South Dayi Member of Parliament Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor who went to the Supreme Court against payment of salaries to the First and Second Ladies, has said that the Supreme Court may make consequential orders after it has ruled against payment of salaries.
Although he did not seek retrieving the money paid to the First and Ladies as part of his reliefs, he said any consequential orders are implied.
“I didn’t make that request, but Any consequential orders are implied,” he stressed.
The Supreme Court has ruled that payment of salaries to the First and Second Ladies is unconstitutional.
The decision of the apex court followed a suit by Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as ‘Abronye’ seeking to reverse the payment of salaries approved for First and Second Ladies.
A five-member committee led by Prof Ntiamoa-Baidu was set up in June 2019 by President Akufo-Addo to make recommendations to him and Parliament on the salaries and allowances payable, and the facilities and privileges available to Article 71 officeholders.
But following the recommendations, Abronye went to the Supreme Court to challenge the work of the committee.
3. Judgement on Spousal Salary payment: Let’s have a broader discussion – Kpebu
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has called for a broader discussion among stakeholders on whether or not wives of the President and Vice President should be paid salaries as Article 71 officeholders.
If it is decided that they will need to be paid salaries, then a law will have to be enacted to back it to ensure proper accountability, he said.
“Let us have a broader discussion, if we are going to fund them it will come with so much accountability,” he said.
The Supreme Court has ruled that payment of salaries to the First and Second Ladies is unconstitutional.
The decision of the apex court followed a suit by Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as ‘Abronye’ seeking to reverse the payment of salaries approved for First and Second Ladies.
4. Elsewhere wives of President, Vice are professionals – Apiah-Kubi on judgement on Spousal Salary payment
Lawmaker for Asante Akim North, Kwame Andy Appiah-Kubi, has said that wives of the President and Vice President should be engaged in humanitarian work in their private capacities.
Commenting on the Supreme Court ruling on spousal salary payment, Mr Appiah-Kubi indicated that “Elsewhere, for instance in the US, wives of the president and vice president are professionals. Obama’s wife is a Harvard-trained lawyer, she did humanitarian work, it was not from the coffers of the state.”
He said “We don’t need any law to that effect in terms of payment of emolument to spouses of President and Vice. Let us encourage them to do humanitarian work, the way to do it must be private.”
The Supreme Court has ruled that payment of salaries to the First and Second Ladies is unconstitutional.
The decision of the apex court followed a suit by Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as ‘Abronye’ seeking to reverse the payment of salaries approved for First and Second Ladies.
5. Presidents in Ghana are super paid, they should be able to take care of their wives – Gyampo
A Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has said that wives of presidents and vice presidents in Ghana should not be paid salaries.
He said any idea to the contrary should not be entertained at all.
Prof Gyampo explained that the president and the vice president are paid well by the state therefore it should be enough for them to take care of their wives.
“They have been paid enough and they have more than enough to take care of their wives, if you are a president and you cannot take care of your wife you are not worth your salt. if you are a vice president and you can’t take care of your wife you are not worth your salt,” he said.
He stressed “The president is super paid well to be able to take care of his wife, we should not always be looking for avenues to dissipate the public purse. I don’t agree to any idea of regularizing payment of salaries to their wives. To that end, the Judgment of the Supreme Court is in order.”
6. NDC wouldn’t have picked Mahama as flagbearer again if Akufo-Addo had performed well in office – Kpebu
The poor performance of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has resurrected the political career of former President John Mahama who is also the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said.
In the view of Kpebu, the NDC would not have settled on Mr Mahama again as their flagbearer if President Akufo-Addo had performed well in office.
Contributing to a discussion on the statement that the Presidency released on the KPMG audit report on the deal between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML), on the show, Kpebu said “It is Akufo-Addo and Bawumia who have resurrected Mahama’s career, they have raised JM from the ashes.
“You think if Akufo-Addo had performed well with press freedom, and turned the economy, the NDC would have brought JM? No. So Akufo-Addo has single-handedly resurrected Mahama.
“If we have to force him to release the KPMG report, then it means we have retrogressed under Akufo-Addo.”
The report issued by accounting and auditing firm, KPMG on the agreement between the GRA and the SML revealed that no technical needs assessment was done prior to the engagement of SML.
However, the report said, such an assessment was not legally required for engaging SML.
7. GRA-SML deal: Call to publish KPMG report is apt – Appiah-Kubi
Lawmaker for Asante Akim North, Kwame Andy Appiah-Kubi, has said the request for the publication of the KPMG audit report on the deal between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) is in order.
If for nothing at all, he said, the publication will help in informed discussions on the matter.
“Whether there was a call or not to publish the report, reports are meant to be served on interested parties, it does not take somebody to call for the releases. If we are interested to know what is there, that is right.
“The call is appropriate, we spent money to produce the report, if for nothing at all for the education. It is important to publish. I am not aware that anybody is trying to shelve it. We must begin to interrogate the report,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, April 27.
8. Elect people with passion for Ghana to lead us – Gyampo urges voters
A professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has urged Ghanaian voters to consider giving persons with little or no education, but have passion to transform the country, a chance at governance.
He said the lawyers and economists who have been at the helm of affairs since the country gained political independence from colonial rule have failed woefully, hence the need to give people who are passionate about the challenges being faced, the opportunity to assume the leadership of the country.
Prof Gyampo explained that failure by the intellectuals, has resulted in less educated individuals venturing into political leadership.
He cited the reported declaration of intent by a former captain of the senior national team, Stephen Appiah (which Appiah has supposedly denied) and other non-intellectuals bidding to enter Parliament as basis for his assertion.
“Let the market women, let the footballers who have passion to solve our water shortage problems, ‘dumsor’ and the other challenges come and solve them,” he suggested while contributing to discussions on the show.
The political science lecturer said failure by the intellectuals to develop the country is worrying.
He blamed Ghana’s underdevelopment on corruption and misgovernance.
“Leadership since independence has failed Ghana. You look at the level of development elsewhere and you compare it to us, it is like we are trying to do things without our soul for our people,” he said.
9. GRA-SML deal: Blame the state for procurement breaches – Appiah-Kubi
If there is any procurement default in a contract between the state and a private individual the state is to blame for it, not the private investor, Asante Akim North lawmaker Kwame Andy Appiah-Kubi, has said.
He explained that it is for the state to investigate the proposal of the private investors against what the law says but if they neglect that duty, the problem will not be blamed on the investor.
He said on the show that “I don’t see anything wrong that the company has done, if there is any procurement breach I will blame the GRA, not the company.
“If procurement default occurs in a contract, I will blame the state, not any contracting party. When the whole machinery of government is available, and I am coming as a private investor to engage with you and you want to burden me with your negligence?”
He was contributing to a discussion on the KPMG audit report on the deal between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
10. GRA-SML deal: Release KPMG report on condition that people will read – Gyampo tells Akufo-Addo
A Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has said that he associates himself to the calls to the president to release the KPMG audit report on the deal between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) to the public.
However, he said, the report should be released only on the condition that Ghanaians will read it and have a balanced view of the matter.
“It should be released on condition that we will read. The discussion clearly show that we have not read thoroughly the scanty report released,” he said.
He added “let us have a balanced view of it and if there is a clear need for the service let’s make that point, if there’s a need for a review we should talk along that line. It appears the regime is noted for clearing people even before they are investigated and so we are fixated on that posturing and so we don’t see anything.
“If this deal is problematic let us look where those problems are and fine-tune it rather than throwing or talking in a manner that discourages private investors in Ghana who want to invest their money for the proposes of generating employment,” he added.
11. Presidential transitions Act takes care of presidential spouses – Dafeamekpor
12. I disagree with Supreme Court that emoluments committee made mere recommendations – Dafeamekpor
13. Presidential spouses should not be allowed to receive funding from private sources – Kpebu
14. Presidential spouses must be funded but with strict measures – Kpebu
15. Presidential spouses’ offices have no basis in the constitution – Appiah-Kubi
16. We don’t need any law on emoluments of presidential spouses – Appiah-Kubi
17. If you are a president and you cannot take care of your wife resign – Gyampo
18. Salaries of presidential spouses must not be condoned – Appiah Kubi
19. SML had no financial wherewithal to be awarded the contract – Dafeamekpor
20 There is nothing good about this deal – Kpebu on SML-GRA contract
21. Asset Declaration: Osafo-Maafo must present a position memo to Akufo-Addo – Kpebu
22. Asset Declaration: Publishing is the way to go – Kpebu
23. It is good to publish assets – Appiah- Kubi tells public office holders
24. Auditor-General must verify published assets by public office holders – Appiah-Kubi
25. We are a nation of talkers no action (NATO) – Gyampo on asset declaration by public officers
26. Naana Jane must live up to her words – Gyampo
27. Let women support their own – Gyampo on candidature of Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang
NB: With additional files from Laud Nartey
