The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has criticized President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to cancel fuel allowances for political appointees,
The lawmaker described it as a populist move aimed at scoring cheap political points.
President Mahama on Tuesday, July 15, ordered an immediate end to the payment of fuel allowances and allocations for all political appointees.
The directive, according to a statement signed by the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, forms part of efforts to cut government expenditure and redirect resources to priority sectors.
The statement noted that the move is also meant to send a signal that leadership must bear its share of sacrifices in these economically challenging times.
But reacting in a social media post on the same day, Ekow Assafuah said the President’s action “might make for good headlines but beneath the surface, it reeks of hypocrisy, not honesty.”
“Is President Mahama himself included in this directive? No. He exempts himself, hiding behind the label of being ‘elected.’ So much for leading by example,” the MP wrote.
He further argued that cancelling fuel allowances unilaterally is not only unethical but also illegal as it varies the conditions of service for appointees to their disadvantage.
“Worse still, fuel allowances, where they exist, are a condition of service. Cancelling them unilaterally is not just illegal, it’s unethical. It constitutes a variation of service conditions to the detriment of officeholders. That’s not bold leadership, it’s shallow populism,” Ekow Assafuah stated.
