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Former President Akufo-Addo lawyer gives Finance Ministry ultimatum over unpaid arrears
Former Legal Counsel to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Kow Abaka Essuman, has given the Ministry of Finance (MoF) up to September 11, 2026, to pay his outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits or face legal action.
Mr Essuman, through his lawyers, Vint & Aletheia Attorneys & Consultants, said he had waited for more than 20 months for his outstanding entitlements to be paid.
In a letter dated September 8, 2026, addressed to the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the lawyers demanded the immediate payment of their client’s salary arrears and terminal benefits, together with interest.
The lawyers said Mr Essuman was appointed Legal Counsel to President Akufo-Addo from January 8, 2021, to January 7, 2025.
They added that he was subsequently appointed Acting Secretary to the President in October 2024, in addition to his duties as Legal Counsel.
According to the lawyers, Mr Essuman’s appointment entitled him to four months’ consolidated salary for every completed year of service or part thereof, an installation grant equivalent to one month’s salary, and a resettlement grant equivalent to one month’s salary for each year or fraction of a year served.
The lawyers cited the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845), which requires salaries, allowances and retiring benefits due to Article 71 officeholders to be paid without undue delay.
They claimed that while other public officials who served during the same period had received their salary arrears and terminal benefits, Mr Essuman and other former Presidential Staffers remained unpaid.
The lawyers described the continued withholding of his client’s entitlements as “arbitrary, discriminatory, unfair and unlawful.”
They said Mr Essuman had made several representations to the relevant authorities in an attempt to resolve the matter administratively, but the issue remained unresolved.
The lawyers are also demanding interest on the outstanding amount from January 7, 2025, until the date of full payment, at the prevailing commercial bank rate.
They have therefore given the Ministry of Finance until Friday, September 11, 2026, to pay the outstanding amount and interest in full.
The lawyers warned that if payment is not made by the deadline, they have instructions from Mr Essuman to commence legal proceedings against the State to recover the outstanding amount, interest and costs.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Management and staff of Owass FM have announced the passing of media personality, comedian and politician Seth Kwame Dzokoto following a medical emergency during a live morning show discussion at the station earlier today.
According to the station, Dzokoto was participating in a panel discussion on its morning show “Oman Nkoso” when he suddenly took ill and collapsed.
A statement from the station said its team immediately rushed him to the hospital for medical attention, but he was pronounced dead by the attending medical doctor upon arrival.
“We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident, which occurred in the course of our regular programming. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, colleagues, and all those who have been affected by his passing,” the statement said.
Management acknowledged that information about the incident is already circulating in the public domain, but appealed to the public and colleague media houses to respect the privacy of the bereaved family and refrain from circulating unverified information or speculation regarding the circumstances of his death.
Owass FM extended its heartfelt condolences to the family of Seth Kwame Dzokoto.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The State through the Attorney General (AG) has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the suspension of the trial in the case of The Republic v Hanan Aludiba and Faiza Seidu.
On Monday, the Court of Appeal suspended the trial in the case. But the prosecution says it has filed an appeal against the suspension order.
According to the update, the law does not allow a criminal trial to be suspended simply because an accused person has complained about some of the charges on the charge sheet, particularly when those complaints were dismissed as meritless.
It argues that if the Court of Appeal’s decision is allowed to stand, no prosecution will ever be possible, since all it would take for a trial to be suspended is an accused person complaining about anything on the charge sheet.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
