Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has accused President John Dramani Mahama of deceiving Ghanaians with the recent directive to cancel fuel allowances for political appointees.
President Mahama on Tuesday, July 15, ordered an immediate end to the payment of fuel allowances and allocations for all political appointees.
The directive, announced in a statement signed by the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, was described as part of efforts to cut wasteful spending and redirect public funds to critical sectors of the economy.
It also follows earlier measures, including downsizing government staff and cancelling satellite TV subscriptions for state institutions.
However, speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, July 16, Miracles Aboagye dismissed the move as mere public relations aimed at misleading Ghanaians.
According to the former Municipal Chief Executive and Presidential Staffer, fuel allowances stated in appointment letters of political appointees are never paid to them.
He argued that it was unrealistic to expect appointees to fuel government-provided vehicles out of their own pockets, as such costs are borne by their respective agencies.
“In this room, I’ve told you how much of a scam this government is. It’s all PR, all settings. Part of the conditions for some appointees—not all—includes fuel allowances. But even for those who qualify, nobody actually receives that payment,” he claimed.
He explained further: “This morning, if Honorable Haruna Iddrisu wants to move from the Ministry of Education to UPSA for a meeting with the Vice Chancellor, he’ll use a chauffeur-driven vehicle provided by the state. That vehicle will be fueled by the government, not from his own pocket and you can not remove that one.”
