Supreme Court defers judgment on presidential spouses salary suit to July 27

The Supreme Court has deferred to July 27, 2022, for its judgment on the suit challenging salaries to be paid to the First and Second ladies.  

The apex court was expected to give judgment today, June 22, but as expectant parties and the press were awaiting the calling of the case, the Registrar announced in an open court that the matter had to be adjourned. 

The writ, filed by MP for South Dayi, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, and two others; MP for Builsa South, Clement Apaak and Frederick Nii Commey, is praying the Court to declare as unconstitutional, the recommendation by the Professor Ntiamoah Badu-led Committee on emoluments for the First and Second ladies to be paid salaries just as Article 71 Office holders, specifically as Cabinet Ministers. 

It is the plaintiffs' case that “upon a true and proper interpretation of the Constitution 1992, spouses of the president and the vice president are not Article 71 office holders for the purpose of receipt of wages and emoluments.”

They are therefore seeking among others a declaration that the recommendation for the payment of the salaries to the presidential spouses is null and void.

Relatedly, the Supreme Court is expected to give judgment on July 29, 2022, in respect of the suit filed by Kwame Baffoe Abronye, the Bono East NPP Chairman. 

Per Article 71 of the Constitution, 1992, the President of the Republic is tasked to determine the salaries of the Executive, Legislature, and the Judiciary on the recommendation of a Committee of not more than five persons who are appointed by him upon the advice of the Council of State.

As a result, the Prof Ntiamoah Badu-led Committee was formed by the Akufo-Addo-led administration to that effect. Among its recommendations, a provision was made for emoluments to be paid to the spouses of the president and the vice president.

In January 2021, Parliament thus approved the Committee’s Report. However, the move to make formal, those payments, generated public uproar with many condemning it publicly and on social media.

The government through the Information Minister explained that such payments were not new but had existed under the Kuffuor administration and were just being formalized by the Akufo-Addo-led government.

Several pressure groups and civil society have also expressed their views on the matter and intentions to challenge the payments in court.