Kofi Bentil, senior vice president of IMANI-Africa, declared that he has no reason to doubt former president John Dramani Mahama‘s pledge to eliminate the benefits currently provided to holders of Article 71 offices.
The attorney claims that winning elections requires the National Democratic Congress flagbearer candidate to make such a pledge.
“This is the kind of thing that wins elections. No matter what you think about President Mahama, if indeed you can trust that he will do these things it will make him attractive to you, and as far as I am concerned, no matter what I think about Mr Mahama, he is a fine gentleman, he has run this country before; nothing will make me not to believe him.
“So let me repeat the statement, I have no doubt that president Mahama can, and I hope that he will do this thing that he’s promised. If he is a serious politician and he wants to capture the kind of votes that he wants to win, he should stick with this,” Mr. Kofi Bentil
John Mahama has been a president before, he has done it before and I have no doubt of him doing it again.- Kofi Bentil pic.twitter.com/hFgiWY7mwU
— KOJO DYNAMIC 𓃵 (@AnnanPerry) November 3, 2023
Speaking at his campaign, former president Mahama pledged that if elected president in 2024, he would eliminate the ex-gratia retirement benefit provided to Executive members.
Mr. Mahama continued by saying that during its first year in office, his administration will also take steps to revoke ex-gratia payments made to other members of the remaining branches of government.
Members of the ruling New Patriotic Party, however, have sharply criticized his pledge and challenged the former president to return his previously earned emoluments.
Speaking on the subject, however, Kofi Bentil urged other flagbearer contenders to make better campaign promises as well rather than criticizing the former President’s pledge.
“All these reforms, it starts with promises; Free SHS started with a promise, there were no plans. So I am saying that other politicians should take a cue from this and they should all give us better plans than President Mahama has done,” he emphasised.
