Sports journalist, Dan Kwaku Yeboah has asked former president John Dramani Mahama to return all ex-gratia he received in his time in office to demonstrate to Ghanaians that he is willing to do away with the benefits of Article 71 office holders when re-elected.

The head of sports for Despite Media urged the former president to follow the lead of Togbe Afede XIV, the Paramount Chief and Agbogbomefia of Asogli, who returned his ex-gratia to the government last year.

In an interactive session on Ekwanso Dwoodwoo On Peace FM, March 2, 2023, Kwaku Yeboah said: “You said it in 2015, the time you were in government, but you couldn’t scrap it, now that you’re on the bench (in opposition) you want to scrap what? Bring the ones that you’ve taken to set an example of what you’re saying.

“If the former president brings his ex-gratia, Kwame I will campaign for him, I will clap for him. Let him say he’s doing what Togbe Afede did, so he’s also doing the same…Kwame this is a big campaign message.

“I wanted him to set an example, actions speak louder than words….Togbe Afede is a human being, and Mahama is also a human being, so why not return it as Togbe Afede did?” he said.

Mahama has promised to scrap the retirement benefit given to top government officials under Article 71 officeholders, known as ex-gratia when he becomes president again.

According to him, his government will start the constitutional processes to scrap ex-gratia in the first year of his administration.

The former president, who made these remarks at the launch of his campaign to become the flagbearer of the NDC on Thursday, March 2, 2023, added that his government would also work to scrap ex-gratia benefits given to appointees under the other arms of government.

"The payment of ex-gratia to members of the executive under Article 71 will be scrapped. And the necessary constitutional steps to abolish that payment will start in earnest in 2025.

"We will also begin the process of persuading the other arms of government other than the executive to accept the removal of this ex-gratia payment," he said.

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AM/SARA