I will scrap ex-gratia when I become president – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has promised to scrap the retirement benefit given to the Executive under Article 71 officeholders, known as ex-gratia, when he becomes president again.

According to him, his government will start the constitutional processes to scrap ex-gratia in the first year of his administration.

The former president, who made these remarks at the launch of his campaign to become the flagbearer of the NDC on Thursday, added that his government would also work to scrap ex-gratia benefits given to appointees under the other arms of government.

“The payment of ex-gratia to members of the executive under Article 71 will be scrapped. And the necessary constitutional steps to abolish that payment will start in earnest in 2025.

“We will also begin the process of persuading the other arms of government other than the executive to accept the removal of this ex-gratia payment,” he said.

Mahama also said that his administration would focus on reducing the president’s powers and ensuring the separation of powers among the three arms of government: the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.

He also said that he would run the leanest government Ghana has ever had in the 4th Republic, with ministers and deputy ministers not numbering more than 60.

The former president also added that his government would focus on completing abandoned projects rather than starting new ones.

Watch the campaign launch below: