State expenditure on First and Second Ladies' offices should be constitutionally backed- Martin Kpebu

Ghanaian

Legal practitioner Martin Luther Kpebu has proposed that the cost of running the offices of the First and Second Ladies should be included in future constitutional amendments to legalize the practice.

According to Kpebu, although the First and Second Ladies are not elected officials, they sometimes assist their husbands in governing the state.

In an interview with TV3, he

Read full articleargued that since these spouses have run offices on the state's budget for years, it should be formalized if the state intends to continue this practice.

He emphasized the need for legal clarity on the matter, especially after the Supreme Court ruled that the payment of salaries to the First and Second Ladies is unconstitutional.

He highlighted the practical role these individuals play in state affairs and suggested that their offices be legally recognized to ensure continuity.

Ghana's Supreme Court recently ruled that the payment of salaries to the First and Second Ladies is unconstitutional, following a suit filed by the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe Adjei.

Adjei sought to reverse the payment of salaries approved for the First and Second Ladies, arguing that such payments contravened the constitution.

The court's decision came after a committee led by Prof. Ntiamoa-Baidu recommended salaries and allowances for Article 71 officeholders, including the spouses of the President and Vice President.

However, the Supreme Court dismissed most of the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs, including Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, an MP who challenged the actions of the committee and Parliament regarding the salaries of the First and Second Ladies.

The court held that while Dafeamekpor focused on the recommendations of the committee, Adjei's case centered on Parliament's actions.