Former Capital, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) are demanding that the government pay them their retirement benefits, three years after they left office.
Following President Akufo-Addo’s cabinet reshuffle in 2021, 134 MMDCEs lost their jobs.
As per their appointment letters, they were entitled to benefits like three months lump sum salary, facility grant etc. However, the government is yet to fulfil these obligations.
The affected former MMDCE and former MCE representative for Akatsi South, Mr Leo Nelson Ajidoga, said the debt owed by each of them was over GH₵100,000.
“It’s going to take three years, which means less than three months because we left in October 2021. We also won’t get our full base grant. They’ll be collating all that and making a pay adjustment for that period. They do the math. They know how to do the math. So if we do something and send it to them, the results could change. So we’re not doing that.”
But we do know, on the books, how much they owe us. If I was to give a rough estimate or a rough idea of what we’ll collect, I would say we’ll collect just over £100,000 in arrears plus tax. That’s why I say I don’t have an exact figure to hand. But if you add it all up, it’s over £100,000.”
He said despite numerous petitions, the government has not resolved the issue.
He said the delay in payment could adversely affect the party’s standing in their respective constituencies as the former MMDCEs do not have the financial capacity to participate in the party’s election campaigns.
“I see that most of the ex-MMDCES who have been sacked are unhappy and bitter. The only thing we can do is for them to take our money so that they can bring us back into the mainstream. That is what I am crying out for. But I know that without this, most of us will not support the campaign. But what we want is that when we go out somewhere, we will not depend on them for fuel to run our vehicles. Give it to us so that we can follow the campaign team wherever they go so that we can also contribute to the campaign work. That is what we want.”
“Maybe the DCEs who want to go will say if I go there I will have to rely on this because I don’t have the money for fuel and it will embarrass me. That prudence will force most of them to sit out. That is why we are saying please pay this cost for us so that we can be part of this campaign. This is our argument,” he said.
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