The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, has reiterated that he returned the ex gratia paid him as a Council of State member because he did not merit such a huge sum of money for serving a poor country like Ghana.
He detailed that it would be inappropriate for him to receive GHC300,000 as ex gratia, from a country suffering economic hardships, for a part-time job he did.
The revered Chief was speaking at the maiden edition of the Asogli Anti-Corruption Day Celebration in Ho, held as part of activities to mark the 2022 Te Za (Yam Festival).
Togbe Afede served as a member of the Council of State, an advisory committee to President Nana Akufo-Addo between 2017 and 2020.
“I returned the ex gratia money not because I did not need money. In fact, at that particular time, I needed money very badly to meet various family obligations.
“But I truly believed that the money was not deserved. It was inappropriate for what I will emphasise again was essentially a part-time work,” he stressed.
He clarified that he was one of the most active members of the Council of State and never received transport allowance for any of the meetings he attended because he registered himself as a resident of Accra.
“The record I promised my people will be set straight very soon. As to whether I will do it again [return the ex gratia], yes, I will do it again,” he added.
The former President of the National House of Chiefs entreated persons who would offer themselves to the service of the country to be considerate when making demands from the nation.
He encouraged members of the committee tasked to determine allowances, salaries and other benefits of Article 71 office holders to ensure their recommendations are “within the context of our economic situations.
“The constitution allows certain payments to Article 71 office holders but yet the constitution was not very definitive as to the quantum of those payments which means a committee must be created to determine the amount to be paid. And the committee when set up in the future must do a better job,” he said.
