Houses for ex-Presidents

By Kofi Akordor

I havebeen trying hard to find the justification for or the wisdom which informed the recommendation that former Presidents, among other things, should be lavished with two houses, one in Accra and another at any place of their choice.

Any time I see the squalor and deprivations surrounding us, I wonder whether those who made that recommendation were part of this country and its people or they were some people from somewhere who were entirely oblivious of conditions in this country.

I am equally baffled that former President John Agyekum Kufuor, after seeing the final work of the Mary Chinery-Hesse Committee before it was made public, did not see anything wrong with the recommendations.

Some of us will not be surprised if former President Kufuor made a personal input into the Chinery-Hesse Report because of the religious fervor he has been demanding its implementation to the letter.

The ex gratia of the so-called Article 71 office holders became a very big issue soon after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of Professor John Evans Atta Mills came to power because of some of the outrageous recommendations contained in the Chinery-Hesse Report and which we were told was ratified by the then Parliament.

For a former President, the committee recommended that as part of the resettlement plan, he be given two houses, not ordinary ones, one in Accra and the other at a place of his choice. In addition, he should be given six fresh vehicles, one to be armoured, which should be replaced every four years.

Did we elect people who offered themselves for the presidency only for them to become a burden on us for their imperial lifestyles? Did they offer themselves because they thought they had a vision for this country, or they just want to improve their lot it even means collapsing the economy of this country?

The argument was bandied around that the resettlement plan was so designed so that our former presidents will live in dignity after retirement and, second, to ensure that while in office, they do not dip their hands into the national kitty for personal aggrandizement.

That is a hollow argument, anyway. Even though it is not a constitutional requirement, we do not expect someone who is squatting in somebody’s hall and chamber to be our president. Anyone with good ideas for this country should be able to show by personal success that he is capable of delivering in the wider national context.

Former President Kufuor proved it by using his personal house as presidential palace for the eight years that he was in office.We do not see how justifiable it will be to build two new mansions for each former President, because that is the only way to guarantee him/her a dignified retirement.

Very importantly, even in jurisdictions where there are tight controls to check graft among public office holders, officers including presidents do not go home wish such lavish entitlements. We are in Africa and we cannot pretend to be unaware of the fact that our anti-corruption laws have very marginal chances of success.

We cannot also run away from the fact that most of the politicians in this part of the world cannot claim to be making sacrifices since they are in the main, more desperately committed to their stomachs than the national interest. Any decision that seems to push these realities into the background will be unfair to the conscience of the people.

The Chinery-Hesse Committee defended its position by claiming the members toured various countries and studied retirement packages for other presidents before coming out with their recommendations. It did not mention the names of the countries visited nor make public the types of packages they had for their retired heads of state.

If their trips took them to African countries, then straightaway they have made a big mistake, since most African leaders do not leave office voluntarily, anyway, and if they are compelled to leave, they are very likely to make such outrageous demands, hiding behind such presidential committees as the one we also did here.

Just as we were beginning to forget the matter, hoping it is now history, the news of our two former presidents rejecting offers of houses made to them at the plush Trassaco Valley hit us with a bang. The two former leaders were not impressed with the offer.While former President Rawlings was not enthused because it was not a permanent abode, Mr Kufuor was not interested because, according to his spokesperson, he was not consulted and did not make any input into the acquisition and allocation.

Why should we get entangled in such a web which should not have been in the first place? Our former presidents, like all other public office holders and public servants, deserve good pension packages.

If those doing the calculations think the present monthly pension for former presidents is not adequate, they can enhance it and subject it to periodic reviews, as is done for other workers.

The issue of houses should be ruled out completely. That is where I agree with PresidentMills that houses should not feature in the retirement packages for former presidents. I, however, disagree with his recommendation that former presidents should be paid rent allowances for their accommodation. That is also a burden that the state cannot carry. Every president of the Republic should be able to retire and go to reside in his or her home.

The state can pay bulk cash on retirement and monthly pension as will be prescribed by the appropriate authorities. Beyond that, State Protocol should be able to cater for other needs, such as foreign travels, allocation of vehicles for personal and official use and all other services a former president deserves.

The agitation we are experiencing on the labour front these days is in part due to the lifestyles of politicians who seem to have stumbled upon some fortune overnight. Many workers are beginning to believe that the men and women who came begging them for their mandate to lead them are not telling them all the truth.

While they are being told every day that there is not much to go round, a lot of the young politicians have developed bloated cheeks in a matter of months. Sometimes it is not easy to hide newly acquired wealth. That is why some of the professionals have become very aggressive in their demands.

The last thing we should do to aggravate the situation is turn what is considered a sacrificial job into a business empire for people. We need to treat our past leaders fair and square, but that should make them like albatrosses hanging on our necks.

fokofi@yahoo.co.uk

kofiakordor.blogspot.com