The former UN senior governance advisor, Professor Baffour Agyemang Duah, has called on the government to dissolve the Council of State as he describes it ‘immaterial’ in respect to the country’s progress.
This he said, following the refund of a colossal amount of GHC356, 000 ex-gratia paid to the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV as a member of the Council of State.
“You assemble 30 people and pay them these much and all they are supposed to do is to review certain things and recommend to the President.
“And the recommendations in the form of advice could be taken or not taken by the President. You appoint some people, you go there and they say ‘yes, go ahead and appoint them,” he said.
Professor Duah again said the Council of State has not proven to be courageous enough to disagree with the President’s decisions concerning the nation.
“Have you ever heard over the past 30 years, how many appointees by any of the President that the Council of State has had the courage to say ‘No Mr. President this guy has a bad record, we won’t want him’?”
“Have you heard any? Tell me one, and if that is the case and it is going to be a routine approval then why do you send so much money to retain 30 people and pay them that much, does it make sense to you?” he said.
Speaking on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday, June 7, he said the payment of the ex -gratia to members of the Council of State is unjust to the general public.
He bemoaned the situation where “If you’ve served the nation for four years and you are given such a lump sum and if you compare that to the other kinds of awards others are given, people have served for 30 years, 25 years, and they go away and they go to SSNIT and every month they are given GHC 1,000 or less that’ what is happening.”
“We are breeding a system where the elite continue to exploit the country. And by the constitution of the country, no ordinary person goes there, they are mostly people who are accomplished” he added.
Prof Duah also mentioned that the government needs to ‘overhaul’ the system, adding that he was happy to note that Togbe Afede XIV refunded the money.
